Into The Woods
by SpawnOfMe
Summary: / CHAPTER 11 OUT NOW! / A trip to the woods brings a tortured soul and a tortured artist together - can they be each other's saving grace? (Alternate Universe) JEFF/TRISH pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **_Hey guys! For those of you who don't know me I am "SpawnofMe" and I am a huge JEFF/TRISH fan! I am the author of the fanfic Live For The Moment and now I have began to write my second fanfic which is yet another JEFF/TRISH fanfic called: Into The Woods. How could you not love these two? I only wished that their storyline had continued in the WWE but I guess that is why fanfics exist, to continue their storyline! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fanfic as much as you do with Live For The Moment. It is once again set in an Altermative Universe following a group of college students on their vacation into the woods. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter. Please like, follow and review if you enjoy this story and let me know what you think of the first chapter and whether you would like this story to continue! As always, Happy Reading! =)_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters featured in this story. Any characters or personnel featured in this story belong solely to themselves and the WWE.

**Chapter One**

"I promise Trish it will be so much fun." Her red haired bestie assured over the phone.

"I don't know Amy, camping is not really my kind of thing." Trish replied.

"Look, I don't know why we're throwing the word camping around. It's not like we're going to be sleeping in a tent. Matt and Adam have organized a big luxurious cabin for everyone to sleep in. It's more luxurious camping than anything. Think of it as glamping in the woods."

"Glamping? Really Amy?"

"Yes glamping. Glamorous camping." Amy let out a big sigh. "Come on Trish. Please. I need my bestie there with me. Our whole group is going and it just won't be the same without you. Besides, we all miss you."

"I don't know Amy, I have a lot on my plate at the moment and –"

"Lies!" Amy shouted cutting Trish off. "It's spring break, you have nothing on your plate, you're just making up excuses because you know that Jay is going to be there. Look, I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you two, but that's the way the cookie crumbles okay. It's in the past, he's moved on, now it's your turn to move on. It's unfortunate that we're all part of the same group, but you just have to let it go Trish. He's a cheating scumbag and he always will be, but he is Adam's brother and Adam is your best friend. Are you really going to let Adam down again by not coming along?"

Trish went silent as she let her best friend's words sink in. It had been two months since Trish found out that her boyfriend of six months had cheated on her and it really hit her hard. She tried to avoid all group gatherings as much as possible so she didn't have to be in the same room as Jason. She missed her friends dearly and she knew they missed her. Shutting them out was her attempt at avoiding all the questions, all the interrogations and all the "you're so much better off without him" comments. She was tired of missing out on all the fun that her friends were having without her, she had already missed out on so much. But was she strong enough to be in the same room as him? There was only one way to find out.

She let out a sigh. "Okay Ames. I'm in. Just send me the dets."

"Oh my God! I am so excited! You won't regret it Trish, I promise!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep Ames."

"Shush you! Texting you the details right away! I'll even come and pick you up! I am beyond excited you don't even know."

A smile crept on Trish's face at the sound of her bestie's genuine excitement. A part of her was actually hopeful and excited for the trip, but there was still a big part of her that wasn't looking forward to seeing his face again.

**•** **•** **•** **•** **•**

_It was a stormy afternoon as Trish fiddled for her keys to her apartment. Dropping her bags on her kitchen counter, she walked into her bathroom to fetch a towel to dry herself off. Walking back into her kitchen, the blinking light on her answering machine caught her attention. She thought it probably was Jason letting her know he had forgotten his key to their apartment again and was at the gym just around the corner. As she was about to press play on the machine, she heard her front door open and close. Peering suspiciously around the corner, Trish's eyes met the familiar blue gaze that belonged to her boyfriend of six months. _

_"__Honey I'm home!" Jason joked as he wrapped his arms around Trish's waist, pulling her close to him. "Did you miss me?" _

_"__More than you know!" Trish replied as his lips met hers for a passionate kiss. "You skipped class again today. Where were you?" She asked as she turned to unpack her bags. _

_"__Uh…you know…just hanging with some of the boys. Class is overrated. Can't wait for spring break!" Jason answered as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist once again, planting small kisses on her neck, distracting her from completing her task at hand._

_"__Jay, you're going to have to start taking classes seriously if you want to ever graduate." She smiled as she tilted her neck to one side allowing Jason greater access to plant some more kisses._

_"__Don't sweat it babe, there's plenty of time before we graduate." Jason mumbled in between kisses as his hands started to explore every seductive curve of Trish's body causing Trish to giggle._

_"__Can you at least help me unpack some of these groceries so I can make us something to eat for dinner." She giggled as she reached over to hit the play button on the answering machine. _

_"__Hey Jay." Came an unfamiliar female voice on the machine which caused Trish to stop and pause. "I tried your cell but you weren't answering and I know you didn't want me to contact you on this number unless it was an emergency but I think missing you is a real emergency. I can't stop thinking about you and especially can't stop thinking about what we did in the library earlier today. You are a man of many talents but what you can do with your tongue is absolutely orgasmic! I just can't wait to…."_

_The message was cut off as Jason lunged forward to hit the stop button. "Wow…they must have the wrong Jay, but it sounds like whoever this is had an amazing day today." Jason nervously laughed off. He turned to Trish who stood there with her arms folded across her chest and a very stern look on her face. _

_"__Who was that Jason?" She coldly asked._

_"__I have no idea. I told you it must be the wrong number. Do you realize how many Jays there are in this country!" Jason replied as he started to unload the bags, refusing to make eye contact with Trish._

_"__Jason! Tell me the truth!" Trish said raising her voice. _

_"__I told you it must be a wrong number. I have no idea who that was." _

_"__You're lying." _

_"__You're being delirious Trish. Don't you trust me? I would never cheat on you." He stopped what he was doing and placed his arms gently on her shoulders. "Why would I ever cheat on you? You're the hottest girl on campus. Would I seriously throw away having the hottest girl in our school by my side? Come on now." _

_"__Is that all I'm good for? Just good to look at?" Trish bit back in a harsh tone._

_"__What? You're hot. I'm not going to deny that. Seriously Trish. I thought you trusted me…maybe I was wrong." _

_"__What am I supposed to think when a message like that gets left on our machine?"_

_"__Trish I told you. There are a million Jays in this world. They just simply got the wrong number." Jason tried to reassure._

_Trish didn't know what to think. Sure there was a good chance that someone may have gotten the wrong number, it wasn't impossible. But the fact that Jason skipped class and was missing for a while today seemed a little coincidental. A seed of doubt was planted in her head but he hadn't given her a reason to doubt him before…maybe this was all just coincidental. He loved her, he told her he did. He wouldn't be with her this long if he didn't…right? She tried to convince herself. _

_ **•** _ **•** **•** **•** **•**

Trish zipped up the last of her bags before bringing it and laying it down near her front door along with her other bags. She thought to herself that she may have overpacked, but what does one bring into the woods anyway?

The sound of tyres pulling up the driveway signalled that her ride was here. There was no going back now. Footsteps approached her front door in a hurried pace followed by the sounds of the doorbell and knocking.

Trish took a deep breath before she slowly opened the door.

"Trisha!" Came a loud yell followed by her red haired bestie lunging over for an embrace, almost knocking Trish to the floor. "I can't believe you're actually coming!"

"Yeah, kind of rethinking my decision right now." Trish replied in a stutter as her oxygen was being cut off by Amy's tight embrace.

"Too late! We're here now, so you have no choice. You're coming!" Amy replied finally letting go of the blonde.

Soon a raven-haired man appeared at the doorstep, leaning against the door frame as he watched the two girls smile and squeal at one another before catching Trish's attention.

"Matthew Moore Hardy, it is good to see you again." Trish smiled as she wrapped her arms around the man who pulled her in for a tight.

"Hey stranger. It is good to see you again. Glad to see you're no longer avoiding us." Matt replied.

"I wasn't avoiding you guys…I was just avoiding…him." Trish's voice trailing off.

"I know. But you could have at least caught up with us on campus. How you managed to avoid us each day I can never understand. You were like a ghost."

"No…I just took some online classes, that's why you never saw me." Trish responded.

"Well I'm glad that you will be joining us for this. I will warn you that Jay is going to be there but you just stay close to us if you feel uncomfortable okay." Matt advised.

Trish let out a big sigh. She had a feeling that he was going to be there, but she was hoping that maybe he would have sit this one out.

"It doesn't matter whether the dirtbag is there or not because I've got your back and we are going to have so much fun! This will be the greatest road trip ever!" Amy chirped with excitement! "Come on let's go because I want to get there before the others do so that we can claim the best rooms!"

Matt and Trish responded with a nod before each grabbing a bag and heading out to the car. As Trish stepped out, she noticed a young man casually leaning against the car. He was tall and athletically built. He wore dark denim ripped jeans which had a chain attached to one side accompanied by a white tank top which emphasised his chiselled arms and a green hoodie tied around at his waist. His hair was an unexpected blue with shades of purple and was tied up in a short ponytail accompanied by a green bandana. But what caught her attention that most was his piercing emerald eyes. They were captivating.

"Trish, this is my younger brother Jeff" Matt introduced as he started to load the bags in the back of the car. "He attends college back home but he's decided to join us for this road trip. He also apparently has forgotten how to be a gentleman." Matt added before hitting his brother across the back of his head.

Jeff who had his headphones in, listening to some Pearl Jam felt the blow on the back of his head before his attention was brought back to the present moment. "Hey man! That hurt." Jeff said rubbing the back of his head as he pushed his headphones from off his ears to around his neck, giving his older brother a puzzled look.

"Can you be a gentleman and help the ladies with the bags please." Matt sternly ordered.

Jeff rolled his eyes before approaching the ladies and helping them with the bags. As he approached Trish his emerald gaze met her hazel eyes.

"Hey. I'm Jeff." His southern drawl becoming evident as he greeted her.

"Hey Jeff. Nice to meet you. I'm Trish." Trish replied with a smile. Jeff shot her a quick smile before grabbing the bag from out of her hands and walked back towards the car, helping Matt to rearrange the other luggage and pack the remaining bags in.

"So that's Matt's younger brother?" Trish whispered to Amy.

"Yep. Sure is." Amy replied as they slowly made their way towards the car.

"They sure don't look like brothers." Trish added.

"No, but they sure act like it." Amy joked. "Jeff is…well…he's unique, but once you get to know him he is a really genuine guy. I think you'll like him." She continued, bumping her hip against the blonde's playfully.

Once all the bags were packed, the group hopped into the car. Matt started the engine as his girlfriend turned up the tunes. Jeff wasn't having any of Amy's music as he placed his earphones back on his ears and turned up Pearl Jam. Trish took a moment to look out the window at her little house. It wasn't much, but it had been her security blanket for the past two months and it was the first time that she was going to venture away from it. She took in a deep breath, gazing out the window not realizing that a pair of emerald eyes were curiously studying her.

-End of Chapter-


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the love that this story has already received! Truly means a lot to have you guys reading and reviewing this story. I am really enjoying writing this story at the moment. It's nice to take a break from the corporate world of 'Live for the Moment' and write a sweet more relaxed fanfic. Of course whenever Jay is around, there's always some drama that follows. Hehe. Anyway, I have found my spark once again and to thank you for all the love that you give both of my stories, I thought I would post Chapter 2 a little earlier than planned. So without further ado, here is Chapter 2. I hope you enjoy and continue to share your thoughts in the reviews. As always happy reading! =)_

**Chapter Two**

The ride to the destination was long, they had been driving for about two hours. Matt and Amy kept themselves entertained at the front singing along to the random tunes that Amy had pieced together for the road trip. Trish found comfort looking out of the window and watching as the scenery changed from city to country. She looked over her shoulder and took a moment to study the younger Hardy who was sleeping soundly. His head rested against the window, his headphones no longer around his ears, but resting around his neck. She noticed unique features on him that she hadn't noticed before. The intricate designs shaved into the sides of his head, the detailed roots that was tattooed on his right arm, wrapping itself around his chiselled muscles. He wasn't as muscular as Matt was, but he was still very well built. Trish had never come across anyone like Jeff before. Looks alone, he was different - unique was the perfect word to describe him , she had to admit, she was a little curious.

Another hour of driving and the group had finally arrived at their destination. The car pulled up to a large cabin hidden in the middle of the woods, surrounded by many large trees. You couldn't see another cabin anywhere nearby.

Trish felt herself being nudged before coming to the realisation that she had fallen asleep.

"Hey…uh…we're here." Came the soft and soothing voice of Jeff.

Stepping out of the car, Trish took in the scenery. It was amazingly beautiful, tall evergreen trees encircled them, the air was cool and fresh with that distinct woodland scent. It was the perfect place to escape, she couldn't have asked for anything more beautiful.

"Amazing isn't it?" Jeff said as he stood next to her, taking it all in just as she was.

"Have you been here before?" Trish asked quietly.

"No I haven't, but it reminds me of home."

Silence fell upon them as they simply stood and took in their surroundings. This was going to be their home for the next two weeks and they had no clue what was going to be in store for them. Trish turned her head slightly to catch a short glimpse at the blue haired being standing next to her, trying to be as inconspicuous as she could. In that same moment, Jeff had the same idea and their eyes met causing the two of them to smile slightly to themselves.

"Hey you guys going to help us or what?" Matt called out as he and Amy began to unload the bags from the car.

Trish and Jeff looked over their shoulders and watched as Matt struggled with one of the bags.

"This guy can't do anything without me." Jeff teased throwing a small smile Trish's way before turning and walking over to his brother to help unload the bags.

Trish smiled to herself before she took another look at her surroundings. She silently wished to herself that this would be the clean slate she needed. That this little escape would be the healing that her heart so desperately needed. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, particularly having her ex around, but she needed to try and move on and if it wasn't going to be now then it was going to be never.

The cabin was huge, much bigger than it looked on the outside. It was a double story wooden cabin fit for A-List celebrities. It reminded her of a ski-lodge she used to vacation at with her family back home in Canada. She instantly felt comfortable.

"Matt and I are taking this room!" Amy's voice could be heard from the top floor. Clearly she had found the best room in the cabin. Her quick footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs as Jeff and Matt brought the final bags inside, closing the door behind them.

"Matt, let's put our bags in our room before anyone else comes." Amy giggled with excitement before stopping and turning towards Jeff and Trish. "Uhh…what are you guys going to do about sleeping arrangements?" She questioned.

"I hadn't really thought of that." Trish replied as she glanced over at Jeff.

"What's the chances of me getting my own room?" Jeff asked, adjusting his bandana.

"Unlikely." Matt replied. "There's only five bedrooms and well there's myself and Amy, you and Trish, Randy and Stacy and Adam and Ja…" Matt wasn't able to finish his sentence as his attention turned to Trish.

"Matt it's fine. You can say his name. He's going to be here. There's not much we can do about it. I knew it was going to happen, so it's fine. Really. I'm fine." Trish reassured, knowing full well that she was lying to herself and everyone else. Jeff, who was clueless about Trish's history with Jason, had a confused expression across his face before he turned his attention back to Matt.

"Well I might not be the strongest in maths but I believe there is a spare room. If you and Amy bunk up, Randy and Stace room together and Adam and Jay share a room that leaves two rooms for Trish and I to have to ourselves…am I right?"

Matt thought for a moment, calculating in his head before coming to the realization that his brother was right. "Well…yeah, I guess it works out then."

"Great!" Jeff grinned as he grabbed his backpack and threw it over his shoulder. I shall go and find my room then. "Did you need a hand with your bags?" Jeff politely asked Trish, causing Trish to snap out of her thoughts.

"Um…no, thanks. I'm okay." Trish replied, forcing a small smile before watching as Jeff bounced up the stairs.

"Trish are you going to be okay rooming on your own?" Matt asked as Amy stood next to him equally concerned for the blonde.

"Guys, I've been on my own for the past two months. I'm sure I can handle two weeks in a room by myself inside a house full of people." Trish tried to laugh off.

Matt and Amy exchanged a glance at each other before looking back their blonde friend. Before they could continue to question her, they heard a car pull up and doors slam before voices could be heard.

The front door suddenly opened and in walked the remaining parties of the group.

Randy and Stacy were the first to walk in surprised to see Matt, Amy and Trish standing at the entrance.

"Hey! When did you guys get here?" Randy asked, greeting Matt and Amy before Trish caught his sight.

"Hey stranger! It's good to see you again. You're looking well." Randy complimented as he brought Trish into an embrace. "It's been a long time."

"Yeah it has. You're still just as charming as ever." Trish replied with a smile as she reciprocated his hug.

"Trish! I'm so glad you're here!" Stacy beamed, hugging Trish tightly. Trish was happy to see the leggy blonde. She had missed her and their girly chats they use to have on the regular.

Adam was the next to walk in dropping his bags to the floor by the door before adjusting his coat.

"Hey! You guys made it here before us!" Adam remarked, greeting Matt and Amy first before he spotted a familiar face, one he hadn't seen in months.

"Well if it isn't the princess herself. She finally greets us with her presence." Adam teased.

Seeing Adam again brought a wave of guilt rush through her body. They were the best of friends for the longest time and after everything that happened with Jason and her, it was just easier to avoid Adam all together so that she didn't have any chance of bumping into Jason or be reminded of him through his brother. She knew she was wrong to do that, but it was the right thing for her to do at the time. Besides, she didn't want to come between brothers and there was no way that she was going to make Adam to choose sides either.

"Hey Adam" Trish greeted in an uncertain tone. She didn't know whether Adam was still on good terms with her or if he hated her for avoiding him.

"Hey Adam? I don't see you for two months and all I get is a 'Hey Adam?' Come here you little turd! I should totally give you the cold shoulder for avoiding me like the plague, but I've missed you too much." Adam smiled pulling Trish into a bear like hug. Trish was like a little sister to him and when Jason broke her heart, all he wanted to do was help her pick up the pieces for his brother's stupid mistake. He never forgave Jason for what he did to Trish, but a part of him knew that Trish was better off with someone else. She was too good for Jason.

Trish couldn't help but smile as she hugged the ruggedly handsome blonde man. She had missed Adam dearly and to be in his embrace once again, she felt comfort. She felt like she was home again.

"There's still more bags in the trunk if any of you care to help." Came an annoyed voice, followed by a thud of a heavy bag on the ground. "Nice to see you all just standing around being helpless fools while I grab the rest of the bags."

"Nice to see you to Jay." Matt acknowledged rolling his eyes as Jason took a moment to look around the room at the group of people gathered by the entrance way. His blue eyes glancing at a familiar pair of hazel eyes he hadn't seen in a while.

Trish felt chills run down her spine as she stood in front of the man that had broken her heart, mind and soul. The man that ripped her heart completely out of her chest and stomped on it before throwing it in the trash like she was meaningless. The man that had shattered all her hopes, dreams and beliefs that true love actually existed in real life. The man that simply had broken her entire being.

**•••••**

_"__I absolutely love movie night. Just snuggling down and watching a flick with the man I love!" Trish beamed as she placed the bowl of popcorn down on the table before snuggling up to her boyfriend on the couch, making herself comfortable. _

_"__I'm just happy that I don't have to sit through The Notebook again. That was complete and utter torture." Jason whined._

_"__Oh it wasn't that bad. It was beautiful. I get teary-eyed every time at the ending. I hope that will be us when we grow old Jay."_

_"__What? Dead?" Jason poked fun before acting out his last dying breath._

_"__No!" She exclaimed as she slapped Jason playfully in the chest. "In love. I hope that we are just as much in love with each other when we are old and grey as we are right now in this very moment." _

_"__Pfft" Jason scoffed. "That kind of love only exists in movies and fairy tales." He added before reaching over Trish and grabbing a handful of popcorn, not realizing Trish's beaming smile start to fade. _

_Jason's phone began to vibrate loudly on the glass top of the coffee table which caught Trish's attention. His phone had been vibrating constantly since he arrived home from the gym this afternoon. It continued to vibrate but it didn't seem to bother Jason as he completely ignored it._

_"__Aren't you going to get that?" Trish asked looking at him curiously._

_Jason took a moment to look at the phone. It looked as though he contemplated picking it up but he then turned his attention to Trish._

_"__And ruin my amazing movie night with my hot and sexy girlfriend? Now why would I do that?" He laid a salty kiss on Trish's forehead before shovelling the rest of the popcorn into his mouth, dropping a few pieces on Trish. _

_Halfway through the movie, Jason had fallen into a deep sleep as Trish was immersed in the movie. She loved her romantic comedies. She was a hopeless romantic and always believed that true love would prevail against all odds. She was brought back to reality when she heard Jason's phone vibrate once again. Like most of the night, she tried to ignore it and continue to focus on the movie, but something was telling her that the vibrating alerts were just asking her to take a look. She glanced over at Jason who was fast asleep, his mouth wide open as he snored loudly. Exactly like his brother. She thought. In slow movements, she reached over and grabbed his phone, being sure to look over her shoulder in case any sudden movements caused him to stir and wake. Taking a deep breath she flipped over his phone and took a moment to study the notifications on the screen. Her hands began to shake, taking just about all of her energy to prevent herself from not throwing the phone at Jason's face. Message notification after message notification from…Candice._

_"__That skanky little…" Trish whispered through gritted teeth. She looked over her shoulder once again at the man who she once saw as a stunningly handsome, loving and devoted boyfriend, but now all she could see was a slimy, dirty, lying, cheating dirtbag. Before she was going to unleash her anger on him, she had to make sure that the gut feeling in her stomach that she had had for a while was true. She unlocked his phone for this first time since they started dating. She had seen his pin code early on in their relationship but she never felt the need to look through his phone, until now. Gaining access into his phone, she paused and took a deep breath, unsure as to whether she wanted to see the contents of the messages or not. _

_As she scrolled through the messages her heartbeat started to accelerate, it was like venom had filled her entire body and she was becoming paralysed. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she read through message after message of inappropriate sexual messages, secret meeting arrangements and explicit photographs. All those times that she thought he was studying in the library or at the gym, he was having secret sexual rendezvous with Candice, a woman who hated Trish simply out of pure jealousy. Trish happened to be the most popular girl in their year (mostly because she was a sweetheart to everyone and not a bitch like many other girls). However unfortunately it seemed that Jason took her kindness for ignorance and was purely using her as a trophy girlfriend and nothing more. Trish couldn't handle reading any more messages as she got up from off of the couch and threw Jason's cell at him, hitting his chest hard and causing his body to jump as he woke from his sleep. _

_"__What's going on? Trish? What the hell was that for?" A confused Jason stuttered as he picked up his cell from his chest and slowly sat himself up._

_Trish began to pace back and forth as she shook her head, trying her hardest not to completely breakdown as she tried to fight off her tears. _

_"__How could you Jay?" She said glaring at Jason, heartbreak written all over her face. _

_"__What the hell are you talking about?" Jason asked, still in a state of complete confusion. _

_"__You know for about a month now I had my suspicions about you. I had my doubts, I had the little voice inside my head telling me that something was wrong and yet, I stupidly continued to give you the benefit of the doubt. I kept telling myself that you loved me, you truly loved me like you said you did." She was losing her battle against her tears as they started to slowly drop one after the other down her cheeks. "Here I was, a loyal devoted girlfriend, talking up how wonderful my boyfriend is and how lucky I am to have met such a wonderful person so early in my life and yet here you were fucking Candice behind my back every opportunity you could." She snapped, a bitter taste left in her mouth after mentioning her name. _

_Her last line caused Jason to immediately stand as he took a moment to look at his cell phone. _

_"__You went through my messages?"_

_"__Yes! I went through your messages Jay! You were constantly getting messages since you got here and were trying your hardest to ignore them. Jason, you're on your phone 24/7 – you don't think I would find it a bit weird that somehow you are able to tear yourself away from your phone for more than two minutes all of a sudden? You left me no choice! _

_"__You went through my personal messages!" Jason yelled. His anger was just his defense mechanism whilst he had to think how he was going to get out of this one. But the more he stared at the heartbroken face of the woman in front of him, it was dawning on him that his jig was up. _

**•••••**

She looked at him the same way she looked at him the night she found out about his infidelity. Her face causing flashbacks to race through his mind. He wasn't prepared to see her, not since she had avoided him for the last couple of months. It caught him off guard and he wasn't quite sure what to do. She was in the same position, she stood paralysis as she came face to face with the man that tore her whole world inside out and upside down and destroyed everything she believed about true love. Everyone else in the room could feel the tension between the two as they glance back and forth from Jason to Trish.

"Well…this was unexpected." Jason finally said, breaking the silence that had filled the room as he continued to stare at the girl he once called his.

-End of Chapter-


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Thank you once again for reading and reviewing this story! I'll keep this short and sweet so I don't bore you, but please know that I appreciate all your reviews, feedback and love for this story. Hope you enjoy Chapter 3 and as always happy reading! =)_

**Chapter Three**

Trish stood with her arms wrapped around herself, as if to shield herself from Jason and any harm that he might throw her way. He was never violent, but his lies and unfaithfulness left her emotionally scarred. She just wanted to run far away into the woods and hide. She didn't want to be anywhere near Jason, she didn't know what made her think that she would be okay being around him. Trish had avoided him for two months, how was she going to spend two weeks with him inside a cabin isolated in the middle of the woods.

"Now Jay, we're all friends here." Matt began. "We're here to have an enjoyable time, away from school, away from petty drama. What's happened in the past is in the past, so let's leave it there and focus on having some fun for the next two weeks."

Randy and Stacy nodded in agreeance, whilst Amy stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Jason. Adam looked to Jason awaiting a reply, but he could just see his younger brother staring blankly at Trish.

"I think we are all capable of being civil." Adam answered for his brother. "Now, have we organized sleeping arrangements?" Adam asked, trying his best to change the topic of conversation.

"Yes, well Amy and I have already picked our room and there happens to be four other rooms left. My brother is picking his room now as we speak and Trish will have a room to herself. Randy and Stacy will bunk with each other which leaves a room for you and Jay," Matt replied.

"Uhhh…we…uhh…have a slight issue." Adam nervously informed.

"Why? What's the issue?" Matt questioned curiously.

"Well…umm…you see…." Adam began before his was interrupted.

"Hey guys! Hope you didn't start the party without me!" A raven haired woman entered, smiling before her smile quickly faded upon seeing the group.

"Introducing the issue" Adam added as he tilted his head in the direction of the woman who the rest of the group were not expecting to see.

"You have got to be kidding me." Amy muttered under her breath as she and Matt quickly exchanged worrying looks before Amy turned her attention back to the woman, furrowing her brows as she glared at her, hoping that she would sense the hatred that Amy had for her.

"What are you doing here Candice? You weren't invited." Amy scowled.

"Actually I was. Jay invited me" Candice replied confidently, flicking her hair over her shoulders, somewhat pleased with herself,

"Well, I'm uninviting you. Find your own way home. Bye." Amy spat with no ounce of remorse.

"Hey, that's a bit uncalled for" Jason intervened, finally managing to tear his attention off of Trish. "Besides, she's right. I did invite her. I wasn't expecting someone to invite my ex along that's for sure. If anyone should be uninvited it should be her." He turned back to Trish giving her a frowning glance.

Candice hadn't even noticed Trish in the room, but as soon as the word "ex" was mentioned her eyes quickly fell across her arch nemesis.

"Eww…what do you think you're doing here? Didn't you like die like two months ago?" Candice insinuated.

"As a matter of fact, Trish is doing perfectly fine. She's great actually. So no, she's not dead, but you're about to be." Amy chimed in, stepping in front of Candice and pounding her fist into her palm.

"Quit the tough guy act Amy, you're not scaring anyone" Jason intervened, though he knew full well that Candice was no match for Amy and it was evident as Candice took a step back, behind Jason almost using him as a shield.

"Can we all just chill for a second please!" Adam snapped, having had enough of the back and forth bickering. Just before Adam continued, Jeff came down the stairs, slowing in his tracks as he saw there was a larger group of people standing in the entrance than there was before he left. All eyes shifted towards Jeff, following him as he reached the bottom of the stairs and stood next to Trish.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Jason asked aggressively, looking Jeff up and down causing Jeff to furrow his brows. Jason wasn't quite sure if he was more upset over the fact that there was a stranger amongst their group or that this stranger was standing awfully close to his ex-girlfriend.

"This is my younger brother Jeff." Matt introduced, still shook at the unexpected arrival of Candice.

Jason just continued to eye Jeff up and down, unsure what to make of this blue haired stranger. "Interesting" Jason commented before turning his attention back to the group. "Well…since it looks like no one is leaving" his eyes directed at Trish, "then we're going to have to change the sleeping arrangements."

"Wait what?" Jeff asked in confusion? "I thought we worked out the sleeping arrangements?"

"Yes, well…our numbers just changed." Matt informed as Jeff rolled his eyes.

"So does this mean I won't be getting my own room?" Jeff sighed.

"What makes you think you deserve your own room? I didn't see you put in any money towards this cabin?" Jason rudely commented.

"Speak for yourself. I put in my fair share." Jeff snapped back to which Jason simply rolled his eyes.

"He did. Everyone did. Well everyone except…" Matt's voice trailed off as all eyes darted over to Candice's direction.

"She's included in my share." Jason was quick to reply as Candice poked out her tongue at everyone, happy that her man was sticking up for her.

"Anyway…" Adam continued. "So looks like we need to work out this rooming situation.

"Well Amy and I already have a room and we're coupled up so it's only fair. I guess the same applies for Randy and Stacy and Jason and Candice." Matt suggested.

"So that's three rooms taken and leaves myself, Jeff and Trish and two other rooms." Adam added. "Jeff if you would like your own room, that would mean that Trish and I would have to share a room. Is that okay with you Trish?"

Trish who had remained quiet since the arrival of her ex-boyfriend, looked at Adam blankly as if she hadn't heard a word he had said. It was like her body was present but her mind was elsewhere. She didn't know what she was doing here, all she knew was that she wanted to get out.

"No, it's fine." Jeff intervened as he noticed Trish's blank expression. "Let the lady have her own room. I'll room with Adam."

"That's fine with me." Adam agreed.

"That works out perfectly, since Trish is used to being alone" Candice smirked, this caused Jason to let out a small laugh which caused everyone else to look at him in disgust, appalled by his behaviour as well as hers. How dare she come into the group and act as if she has been a part of them since day one. Trish was their friend, there was no way they were going to let someone talk that like to Trish, but Jason was also their friend and they had to try and be supportive of his relationship.

"I'm going to go and find my room." Trish quietly said as she made her way upstairs. This was not the trip she had envisioned. She knew it was going to be difficult to be in the same room as her ex-boyfriend but to share a house with her ex and the woman that broke up her relationship…now that was a whole new level.

Now Jeff wasn't the type of person who liked to see people upset, especially woman. His mother always taught him to treat women respectfully, to be kind, compassionate, caring and chivalrous, basically to be a gentleman.

"I'm going to see if she's okay." Jeff commented. He gave Jason a quick frown before making his way upstairs to check on Trish.

"That was uncalled for Candice." Adam scolded.

"Hey I was just stating the truth." Candice responded.

"You're not welcomed here Candice! The only person that wants you here is Jay and we only put up with him because his is Adam's brother" Amy snapped.

"Hey" Jason replied, insulted by her statement.

"Hey I was just stating the truth" Amy replied mimicking Candice's response.

"Look, if anyone is going to get any enjoyment out of this trip than we are all just going to have to get along. Jay, you should have discussed bringing Candice along with us first" Adam advised. Jason was about to put his two cents in before Adam continued. "AND yes! I know what you're going to say, we should have discussed Trish being here with you also but in saying that, Trish is a solid member of this group and she is always welcomed as every member of this group always is."

"Well it looks as though we have some new members and no I am not just referring to Candice", Jay insinuated as he glanced over at Matt. "No one discussed the blue haired freak joining us either."

"That blue haired freak is my brother and he is welcomed anywhere, anytime." Matt replied sternly.

"Alright, enough is enough. Let's all just put our luggage away in our rooms and take it easy. It's spring break, we're on vacation in a beautiful place and we are all going to get the fuck along!" Adam ordered aggressively. This wasn't how he pictured his vacation starting. Everyone followed his instructions and began to grab their belongings before making their way upstairs to their room.

**•••••**

Meanwhile upstairs, Trish's room had a bay window which over looked many trees that surrounded their cabin, it had a large cushioned seat attached. She sat herself down as she stared out the window, looking out into the trees contemplating what she was going to do.

Her thought process what interrupted when a shade of blue caught her attention beside her.

"Thanks for switching rooms with me Jeff." Trish finally said as she glanced over at Jeff. "There's something about a big massive window that brings me a little bit of peace."

"That's okay. To be honest I don't care where I sleep, as long as the bed is comfy. This room had a nice queen size bed, there was no way I was going to let you sleep on a singles bed with Adam on the opposite side of the room. Women deserve their privacy." Jeff replied causing Trish to smile. Jeff was so soft spoken and gentle when he talked and his southern accent was quite soothing. Trish felt a lot more relaxed talking to him.

"So…I'm guessing that things didn't end well with you and that Jay guy?" Jeff asked quietly.

Trish turned her attention back to the window. It wasn't something that she felt comfortable talking about and Jeff noticed this change in her.

"Look, I'm not going to poke my nose in your business or anything. If you don't want to talk about it, it's cool." Jeff added. Trish smiled, she appreciated him not wanting to pry. She already had to deal with seeing Jay's face again and then be confronted by Candice, she wasn't ready to relieve their breakup on top of everything.

"Thanks Jeff. I appreciate that. I'm sure you'll hear the story soon enough. But thank you for coming to check up on me also." She said placing her hand on his knee. "Really appreciate it, considering we don't even know each other that well."

"Well, my mom always told me to be kind and respectful to women, so I wasn't going to let someone speak like that to you and not check up on you. That's not who I am or how I was brought up." Jeff responded, smiling at the touch of her hand on his knee.

"Well your mother is a very wise woman." Trish added. Jeff's smile slowly faded as he glanced down towards the ground.

"Was." Jeff mumbled softly. "She was a wise woman. She died a few years ago."

"Oh Jeff…I'm so sorry. I should have known. I wasn't thinking…I'm so sorry." Trish apologized.

"It's okay. It's very rare that I talk about my mother. Don't really know why I brought her up in conversation to be honest. Anyway, she's in a better place now and I can still feel her with me." Jeff replied bringing his attention back to Trish. He could see the sorrow and sadness in Trish's eyes, but more importantly, he could somehow see past that. He could see the pain she held, probably because deep down he was in the same boat. He was still carrying the burden of his mother's death with him.

"Trish…if you ever need anything…" Jeff began as Trish smiled knowing exactly what he was going to say next.

"Thanks Jeff. I appreciate that." She replied.

A knock on the door frame caught their attention as their heads turned towards the direction of the door seeing their red-haired friend leaning up against the door frame with a curious look upon her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt this uhh…" Amy said pointing her finger from Jeff to Trish and then Trish to Jeff.

"I was just leaving." Jeff said standing up and walking towards the door. He looked over his shoulder and shot another small smile Trish's way. "See ya Trish."

"See ya Jeff. Thanks again." Trish replied returning his smile as she watched him disappear into the room opposite hers and close the door.

Amy proceeded to enter the room and sat herself down besides Trish in the exact same spot where Jeff had been sitting.

"He's a really nice guy" Trish commented.

"Who Jeff? Yeah, he is. I told you, once you look past his unusual appearance, you can see how genuine and kind-nurtured he is." Amy replied.

"Yeah, but he's hurting. I can see it in his eyes." Trish replied softly as she looked towards the now closed door that Jeff had just walked through.

"I guess it takes one tortured soul to see another" Amy hinted.

Trish arched her brow and playfully slapped her friend across the arm.

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work." Trish laughed.

"Hey, I'm not doing anything." Amy replied holding her hands up in surrender. "It's not my fault that two of my best friends are brooding over things from the past. You two have that in common. Maybe you'll be able to help each other deal with your issues." Amy teased.

"Brooding? Really Amy?" Trish smiled to herself before her smile slowly faded. "Amy what am I going to do? I can't be under the same roof as Jason and Candice. It was a big enough step for me to be in the same room as Jason let alone Candice too."

"Hey, you're not doing this alone Trish. I am so proud of you for ditching the comfort of your own home and actually being here and even more proud that you were able to withstand the bullshit that Candice and Jason pulled downstairs. Anybody else would have walked out that door but not you Stratus. You've taken more than a huge step girl, you've taken 5-10 steps today and no matter what Matt, Adam, Randy, Stacy, myself and even Jeff have your back. We're going to help you get through this and you are not going to have to face those two alone. I promise." Amy said pulling her bestie into a hug.

Despite everything that she was going through and everything that she was going to have to deal with, Trish felt so much love and comfort knowing that she had the support of everyone in her group. She definitely missed being surrounded by her friends and though she contemplated on leaving, without knowing it Amy had just given her a reason to stay.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and get dinner started" Amy suggested, to which Trish replied with a nod and a smile.

-End of Chapter-


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **_Hey guys here is the latest update for Into the Woods! As you probably already can tell this is a much lighter fanfic than my 'Live For The Moment' fanfic. Sometimes I like reading stories that follow the buildup of the relationship between Jeff and Trish. In saying that though, I can guarantee Jason and Candice will bring some much loved drama into the story and I still aint quite sure where I want this story to go, so it could change along the way. Anyway, hope you enjoy the latest update. Please continue to follow, review and let me know what you think about the story so far. I know that this may not be a fan favorite for everyone, but sometimes writers need a change up to keep their creative juices flowing. Anyway, enough blabbing. Enjoy chapter four and as always...happy reading =)_

**Chapter Four**

A couple of days had passed and everyone seemed to have settled into their new environment well. Though there was still tension amongst the group, everyone still went about their day choosing to avoid the elephant in the room.

Trish had woken up early one morning and although she tried, she couldn't get back to sleep. Even though she had managed to remain in the house for the last couple of days, she found it exhausting trying to avoid Jason and Candice every time they would set foot in the room she occupied. Each time that Candice and Jason would enter the room that Trish was in, Trish simply smiled and walked out and searched for another place in the cabin to occupy. She was thankful that the cabin was big enough for her to find a place of her own each time. But it was taking a toll on her, she felt she couldn't be comfortable. She always felt on edge, always expecting them to walk in and having to stop what she was doing each time and remove herself from the situation just to keep the peace. She didn't know whether she would be able to keep this up for two weeks. Sure, she was here to tackle and confront her demons, but it was a lot harder than she thought it was going to be. Even with the support of her friends, she still found it difficult to be in the same room as her ex and his new girlfriend. Being under the same roof was a big step in itself, being in the same room, now that was the next step.

She decided that maybe a walk would do her mind some good and help clear her head. It was dawn and the sun was slowly lighting up the sky as it's rays of light peaked through the trees. Once outside, Trish took a moment to feel the cool breeze across her skin, it was such a refreshing feeling, the cool sensation causing her to wrap her arms around herself as she felt it's chill.

"Heading somewhere?" Came a soft southern voice.

Trish jerked in surprised.

"Jesus Jeff! You scared me half to death." Trish stuttered, her hand placed over her heart in attempts to calm her racing heartbeat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"What are you doing up so early?" Trish asked as she took a seat next to Jeff.

"Adam. The dude snores as loud as a hurricane. No wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend." Jeff teased causing Trish to giggle slightly.

"Yeah, I should have warned you about that. Everyone hates rooming with him because of it." Trish admitted.

"Gee thanks. Could have used the information earlier." Jeff replied causing Trish to giggle once again.

"Do you play?" Trish asked pointing to the acoustic guitar in his hands.

"Not very well, but I can play a tune or too." Jeff replied modestly. "So where were you off too?"

"Nowhere in particular. Just thought I would take a walk to clear my head. We have been here for a couple of days and are yet to venture off into these woods."

"That is true. Well I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't accompany a lady into the woods." Jeff said placing his guitar on the ground and leaning it's neck up on the wall. "If you don't mind having company that is" he added.

Trish couldn't help but smile. "Sure. I'd like that. Besides I wouldn't want to run into a big bad wolf." She joked.

"Oh I wouldn't stress, I heard they like to dress up as grandmas and eat baskets of goodies." Jeff replied referencing the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. This caused the two of them to laugh as they stood and walked down the steps of the porch and made their way into the woods.

"As isolated as we are, this place is absolutely beautiful" Trish said as she looked up into the evergreen tree tops which were lit up by the rays of the morning sun.

"It is amazing. This is what it's like back home…on my dad's property. He has hundreds of acres and we have trees that go on and on which eventually opens up to a big lake. I guess that's why I feel so at home here." Jeff replied as he also took in the scenery.

"It's funny, I feel more comfortable here, than I do in that big cabin." She confessed as she walked along side Jeff. The sounds of the fallen leaves crunching under the feet echoing as they walked along.

"I noticed that you leave the room every time Jay and Candice enter it. You shouldn't have to do that. It's not fair, this is your vacation too."

"I know. It's just easier that way. Everyone just knows the whole story between Jay and I and I can tell that everyone glances over at me every time they step foot into the room, worried about me and contemplating whether they should stop what they are doing and come over to comfort me or protect me. I feel so fragile that way and there's no way I can become stronger if I'm treated like I'm going to break each time. It's just easy for me to hold my head up high, smile and walk away." She answered truthfully.

"I don't know your story." Jeff replied. "You could always come and sit with me. I promise, I don't bite."

This caused Trish to smile. He was right, he didn't know her story. He never looked at her the way everyone else in the house did. He just simply made her feel like a normal person, rather than something that could shatter at any moment.

"Noted" Trish smiled back. As they continued their walk, Trish found herself glancing every now and then at the blue haired man beside her. He was just so intriguing – in a good way.

"I have to ask." Trish eventually said. "The hair" she continued at she pointed to the obvious.

Smiling a small smile, Jeff adjusted his bandana.

"I don't know. I guess it's just a way of expressing myself. I'm always trying to find new and different ways to express myself. I don't want to be like everyone else. I want to be different. I want to be the one that people talk about like "remember that guy that had the blue hair?" Good or bad, at least they remember me." He answered.

She looked at Jeff with a genuine smile. His way of thinking and the way he approached life was refreshing. She had never met anyone quite like him but she was glad that their paths crossed because she was really enjoying his company.

"Well I think that's a great approach to life and I think the blue hair suits you." She complimented.

Jeff smiled back, grateful for her comments. He noticed what a beautiful smile she had. It was a shame that she didn't feel comfortable enough in the house to be able to smile more.

"I'd like to see more of that around the house." Jeff said pointing at her face. Unsure what he was pointing at, Trish gave him a puzzled look. "Your smile. I think you have a beautiful smile. I'd like to see you smiling more." He continued.

Trish felt her cheeks heat up and looked away towards the ground, trying to conceal her growing smile. "I'll try" she said softly, smiling to herself.

They soon came across a large lake with the perfect mixture of green and blue shades glistening in the morning sunlight with the reflection of the trees in the water making it so scenic. A group of ducks waddled from the bank of the lake and into the water, gliding across so effortlessly. It was so peaceful. Even the ducks weren't making a sound. A small dock ran across one side of the lake, whilst a gigantic tree branched out from the bank and hung above the water.

"Wow!" Trish's gasped in awe. "This is stunning."

"Just like home." Jeff added, taking in the scene.

"To be perfectly honest, I would be perfectly comfortable camping out here, rather than in the cabin. It's just so tranquil here." Trish confessed. "And that says a lot, because I really don't like camping." This caused Jeff to chuckle.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't picture you camping." He smirked.

"Hey. I'll have you know that I was an excellent girl scout." Trish teased before they burst out in laughter. "Yeah right. I wouldn't even know how to pitch a tent to save my life."

"Trust me, camping can be fun. Perhaps I'll have to show you one day." Jeff suggested.

"I'd like that." Trish smiled her cheeks unknowingly turning a rosy colour.

The two of them stood side by side on the bank of the lake, watching as the shadows that encircled the lake started to slowly disappear as the sun began to rise higher into the morning sky. A light cold breeze blew past them, causing goose bumps to form on Trish's skin. Of course in her spontaneous decision to go for a walk to clear her head, she had forgotten to dress appropriately. Instead, she was still in her oversize t shirt that she liked to wear to bed and her short shorts, which were only bedtime appropriate. Her slight shiver from the chill of the breeze didn't go unnoticed by Jeff. He, unlike Trish, anticipated a cool morning and had thrown on a hoodie before he headed outside to the porch.

"Here." He said as he unzipped his hoodie and held it out for Trish to put on.

She looked at him, surprised by his kind gesture. She wasn't use to things like that. In their six month relationship, Jason never paid attention to her needs, but rather worried about fulfilling his needs first.

"Thank you." She replied slipping her arms into the sleeves of his hoodie before zipping it closed. The hoodie was oversized for her petite figure, and her hands were completely covered by how long the sleeves were on her, but it was cozy and warm. Without even thinking she brought the sleeves to her nose and inhaled, smelling his intoxicating, masculine scent. She used to do the same when she was together with Jason, getting much enjoyment wearing his t-shirts or hoodies to bed at night and having his scent close to her.

"I'm sorry. I did have a shower when I woke up." Jeff apologized.

"Huh? Oh my goodness no." Trish replied a little embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. I use to wear Jason's clothes all the time and I would always smell his scent, it was comforting. I guess it has just become a habit."

"Well sorry if it doesn't smell like how Jay's clothes use to smell."

"Actually. It smells ten times better. Sexy and comforting at the same time to be perfectly honest." Trish replied so carefree before her eyes widened at the realisation of what she had just said. "Oh my God, I…I…" Trish stuttered, struggling to get any words out.

"It's okay, I'll take it as a compliment." Jeff laughed off, noticing how red Trish's cheeks became. "I'm glad to know that I smell ten times better than Jay." Jeff teased.

Trish let out a small laugh to herself, choosing not to say anything in case she embarrassed herself any further.

"How did you describe it again…sexy and comforting?" Jeff continued to tease, resulting in a playful whack across the chest from Trish.

"Okay, you've had your fun." Trish said as she laughed along with him. She hadn't smiled, giggled and laughed in a long time as much as she was doing now. It felt good. She felt as if her heavy heart was a little lighter. Like a little weight had been lifted from the burden she carried. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she was happy that she had chosen to stay.

After they had composed themselves, Trish and Jeff took one last look at the picturesque scene in front of them.

"We should all come here for a swim later today." Jeff suggested. "I reckon we could have a lot of fun." Trish didn't reply, she just stared out at the water. She would love to have a great time with her friends swimming in the lake, but she still had Jason and Candice to worry about. Jeff noticed her silence and took a look over his shoulder. "We should head back, I can just imagine Matt freaking out if he can't find me." Jeff suggested.

"Yeah, Amy is the exact same."

The two made their way back through the woods back towards the cabin.

When they approached the front door, they could hear Matt's voice yelling from inside the cabin.

"Where the hell could he have gone! This is the fucking woods we're talking about! There could be bears, wolves….or worse! Jeff! Jeff! Jeffrey Nero Hardy!" he yelled.

"Oh that's bad. When he uses my full name, that means he is beyond angry." Jeff informed Trish cringing his face a little as he rubbed the back of his neck, contemplating not walking through that door.

Trish let out a small giggle as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, I can work a little magic with Matthew. He has a little soft spot for me because his girlfriend is my best friend" she reassured.

Just then the front door opened and there stood an irate Matt Hardy, staring from his younger brother to the petite blonde and then back to his brother.

"Where the hell have you been?" Matt yelled. "I have been worried sick about you!"

"Relax, we just went for a walk." Jeff replied, showing no signs of being bothered by his brother's anger.

Matt was about to unleash his wrath even further but then paused for a moment. "You…and Trish? You two? Went for a walk? Together?"

"Yeah and…what's the big deal? We just went for a walk. We're back now and perfectly safe, can you relax now?"

Matt shot a glance over his shoulder and looked at his red-haired girlfriend who was standing further in the entrance of the cabin with her hands on her hips. Amy didn't say anything, all she did was take one look at her boyfriend, then a quick glance at the blonde and blue hair beings standing in the doorway before smiling to herself and walking off into the kitchen.

Matt turned to his brother and looked him up and down to make sure that he actually okay before turning to Trish and giving her a once over as well.

"Nice hoodie" he said before turning and following Amy into the kitchen.

Trish and Jeff exchanged confused glances at one another, unsure of what happened before they made their way inside closing the door behind them.

"So…uhh…where was the so called back up?" Jeff teased.

"I froze, I'm sorry, I've never seen him that mad before."

"Remind me never to commit a crime with you. You would make a terrible accomplice."

Trish gasped mockingly, offended by his statement which just simply made Jeff laugh.

The two followed their friends making their way to the kitchen as they tried to contain themselves from bursting out in laughter.

-End of Chapter-


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Here with another update for you all! Thank you all again for all your comments and reviews! I love knowing what you guys think of the plot and the characters. Definitely a highlight reading all your comments. I know that everyone is secretly hanging for the next chapter of 'Live For The Moment' and it is definitely in the works, so stay tuned! Anyway, here is Chapter 5 of 'Into The Woods', hope you enjoy and as always...Happy Reading! =)_

**Chapter Five**

It didn't take long and it didn't take a lot of convincing to get the group to go down to the lake for a swim.

Everyone, beside Trish and Jeff who had been there earlier, was amazed at the scenery that was before them.

"Now…this is a vacation!" Adam said as he placed his belongings down along the banks of the lake not too far from the dock, beneath the overgrown tree. Everyone else followed Adam, placing their things next to his and taking a moment to take everything in.

Trish made sure to place her things far enough from Jay and Candice. She was very reluctant to come but Adam's, Jeff's and Amy's pestering and begging ended up convincing her.

"I heard it smells ten times better down this end" Jeff teased as he placed his stuff next to Trish, causing Trish to playfully punch him in the arm.

"You're never going to let me live it down are you?" Trish asked , smiling as Jeff grabbed onto his arm, rubbing the area where her fist connected.

"Nope…don't think I can" Jeff replied, letting out a laugh as he quickly dodged another swing from Trish.

This playfulness didn't go unnoticed by Jason who watched on as the pair play fought, giggled and whispered to themselves.

"Will you sit and sunbathe with me?" Candice's voice echoed distracting Jason momentarily from watching his ex.

"Huh? What?"

"Jay, what's wrong with you? You seem distracted." Candice asked puzzled.

"I'm fine. I'm going for a swim with the boys. You can sunbathe with the girls." Jason answered with a hint of annoyance. He glanced back over at Trish and Jeff. Jeff was assisting Trish detangling her hair which somehow had gotten caught up in her necklace.

"The girls want nothing to do with me. Can you just stay with me for a little bit…please?" Candice begged.

"Fine" Jason replied rolling his eyes. He was second guessing his decision to bring his girlfriend along. Everyone disliked her and now he was going to be stuck with her, keeping her company because no one else would.

"Trish let's go sit on the dock for a bit and soak up some sun before we swim." Amy suggested pulling on her best friend's arm to follow her.

"Wait for me" Stacy called out as the three women ran towards the dock.

**•••••**

It didn't take long for the boys to jump into the lake, all except Jason of course who remained underneath the overgrown tree by everyone's belongings next to his girlfriend. He watched on enviously as the other men shared a lot of laughter diving off the dock and into the water.

Jeff wowed everyone by standing on the railing and back flipping into the water. Of course as brother's do, Matt felt the need to one up his brother and he too took to the top of the railing and did a frontal flip into the water. Not as impressive as his younger brother but still decent.

"He's going to end up breaking something if he keeps trying to outdo Jeff." Amy teased causing Trish and Stacy to giggle.

"At least they can do impressive tricks. I don't see Randy or Adam doing anything spectacular" Stacy commented as she adjusted her sunglasses.

The three girls continued to watch as the boys took it in turns to dive into the water.

"So Trish, how are you enjoying your vacation so far?" Stacy asked.

Trish took a moment to think. "You know what Stace, it started off a bit rocky…" she began as her attention turned to Jeff who performed a swan like dive into the water. "But…things are starting to look better" she continued with a small smile.

"I've noticed that you seem to be getting along with Matt's younger…and may I add…very attractive brother." Stacy commented.

"Stace! You can't go around saying things like that when your man is right there." Amy pointed out causing the women to giggle. "But Stace makes a good point. She's not the only one that has noticed you and Jeff getting along." Amy said turning to Trish, bringing her sunglasses lower on the bridge of her nose, peering over at her blonde bestie.

"He's really sweet and just really easy going. It's refreshing to have someone like him in our group." Trish answered not realizing that her attention was still focused on the younger Hardy. Amy and Stacy glanced at one another and smiled.

"You girls coming in for a swim or what?" The raven haired Hardy asked as he swum closer to the dock.

"Yeah it would be a shame to not enjoy all this" Adam added, whilst floating on his back basking in the sun.

Matt got as close to the dock as he could and began to splash the girls repeatedly.

"Okay, okay we're coming in." Amy shouted.

Amy was the first to strip down to a simple black and white bikini, followed by Stacy who wore a baby pink bikini with little frills around the edges, accentuating her long legs perfectly.

Trish who hadn't worn a bikini in front of people in a long time was a little reluctant to strip down, but after seeing Stacy dive into the cool water, she pushed her anxiousness aside. She stripped down to a simple red two piece bikini which tied up at the front on her top and on the sides at the hips on her matching bottoms. It looked so flattering on her curvaceous tanned body that it caught the attention of a certain blue haired man.

Jeff ran his hand across his face, making sure that he wasn't seeing things. He knew that Trish was attractive, her face alone was gorgeous, but seeing her standing on the dock in a figure hugging red bikini with her blonde locks cascading around her, she looked amazing.

"Uhh, don't look now but here comes Captain Jack of all Asses!" Amy said with disgust as she saw Jason approaching them on the dock. "Surprised he left his side kick behind." Amy pointed out. Amy placed her hands on her hips as Jason approached them. "Decided to join us have you? Did Candice give you a 'get out of jail free card' or something?" Amy mocked.

"Really funny Amy." Jason scoffed, making his way past the red head. He then came face to face with Trish who stared into the blue eyes that once melted her heart. Trish felt a little exposed standing pretty much half naked in front of her ex. Everyone watched on as the two simply stood, staring at one another. Jason gave Trish a once over. "Get out of my way" Jason said coldly before rudely bumping his shoulder into her, pushing her out of the way and diving into the water. The others stared at each other, shocked and speechless.

Trish wrapped her arms around herself again, taken back by the harshness Jason just displayed towards her. She hadn't done anything to deserve such treatment, if anything she was doing her best to keep the peace between them. Just when she was starting to feel like she could actually enjoy herself, he had to go and ruin it. Just like he did their relationship.

"That son of a bitch. I swear if he wasn't Adam's brother I would just –"

"Amy stop. It's fine." Trish said cutting Amy off. "I'm just going to head back to the cabin."

"No you're not. Don't let him ruin this for you. We were having such a good time. If anyone should return to the cabin it's him. No one wants him or his troll doll either." Amy claimed.

"Amy please. Clearly we can't be anywhere near each other."

"Trish please. Stay for me…please." Amy begged.

"Ames, I came on this trip for you. I need to start doing things for me and right now that's getting away from here." Trish replied making her way off the dock before she was stopped in her tracks.

"Where are you off too?" Came the sweet southern drawl.

"Jeff please. I just really need to get out of here." Trish pleaded.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

"No Jeff please, you stay here and enjoy yourself. I'm fine being on my own."

"I'm sure you are, but I'm still coming with you." Jeff calmly protested as he stared into the hazel eyes which were looking a little glassy. He could tell that she was fighting off tears. "Look…I can see this going one of two ways. Either you let me go back to the cabin with you…or you can stay and enjoy the afternoon with your friends and I make you get into that water."

Trish arched her brow in curiosity. "Make me? And how do you suppose you're going to do that Hardy?"

A smirk came across Jeff's face. "Well, I'm going to count to three and if you don't start running, Imma pick you up and throw you in the lake myself."

"You wouldn't" Trish replied, though she wasn't convinced herself.

"One…" Jeff began. "Two…"

Trish wasn't going to take the chance, if she was going to go in the water, she was going to go on her own accord and not be thrown in. She began to run back up the dock, running past her red-haired friend as Jeff took off after her. Of course, Jeff was too quick for Trish and caught her in his arms right as she approached the edge of the dock. His speed and failure to stop in time caused the two of them to fall off the edge and straight into the lake.

Trish emerged to the surface first as she gasped for air.

"Jesus Jeff!" Trish screamed as she wiped the water away from her eyes, as Jeff emerged to the surface laughing. He ran his hand across his face and brushed his hair to the side with his fingers.

"I told you I was going to get you in the water" he said with a smirk.

Everyone who watched the encounter shared a laugh, all except Jason who didn't find any humour at all in what he just witnessed.

Trish glared at Jeff before her face softened. Though she didn't enjoy the way she entered the water, the cooling sensation of the water was so refreshing. It was what she needed and she couldn't help but just smile at Jeff's playfulness. She knew that he was just looking out for her and that he didn't want her to miss out on all the fun. She appreciated him a lot more than she already did.

"I swear, you are just… something else" Trish commented as she splashed water in Jeff's direction.

Matt decided to join in on the fun and began to splash water in Jeff's direction also, he was soon joined by Adam, Randy, Stacy and eventually Amy joined in on the fun as well. By the end of it, everyone was splashing each other like children, sharing a lot of laughter. Randy was the first to put Stacy on his shoulders, trying to shield her from the water attacks.

"Oh no you don't. You ain't getting away that easy." Amy shouted. "Matt, help me up". Soon Amy was up on Matt's shoulders and the two women tried their best to overthrow each other and push the other into the water.

"Come on Trish, what do ya say? I think we could take them on." Jeff suggested offering his hand out to Trish inviting her to join in on the fun.

Trish shot a quick glance over at Jason, who had the nerve to shoot her a cold, harsh glare as if to say 'don't even think about it'. How dare he. He was able to move on quickly with Candice while she wallowed in pity, grief and pain for quite some time. She stared at Jason, his blue eyes reminding her why she was so captivated by him in the first place.

Turning to Jeff, she placed her hand in his. "What the hell." She answered much to Jason's disliking as Jeff assisted her up onto his shoulders.

**•••••**

After a few hours of fun in the sun, the group moved to the shallow end of the lake where they sat or treaded water and talk amongst themselves. They took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing of moments they shared and moments that brought the group closer together.

Adam, wiping a tear from his eye as a result of excess laughter, took a moment to look at the group of people surrounding him. "Those were some good times" he commented, "so glad that all our paths happened to cross". The group agreed in unison.

"Shame you weren't a part of our group then Hardy Blue" Jason said sourly. He was still bitter from witnessing Trish and Jeff's playful interactions with each other all day. It bothered him that Jeff was able to make Trish laugh and smile and it was the physical contact between the two that bothered him even more. The way Jeff held onto Trish's thighs as she sat upon his shoulders, trying to over throw the other women off of their men and into the water. The way Trish immediately reached out for his hands or gripped his blue hair when she feared she was about to fall off from his shoulders. Jason narrowed his eyes at Jeff. "Such…a shame" he added.

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances with one another, unsure as to why Jason was being so insensitive. Trish on the other hand, simply glared at Jason, unimpressed and annoyed at his rudeness.

"Oh well…you know what they say, the longer you live in the past, the less future you have to enjoy." Jeff quoted, simply shrugging his shoulders and ignoring the little dig Jason threw his way and looking past the unusual nickname. He wasn't quite sure as to why Jason was acting this way towards him, perhaps he didn't like the fact that he was spending a lot of his time with his ex-girlfriend, or perhaps because he wasn't expecting Trish to enjoy herself whilst in his presence.

"Well said Jeffrey!" Adam praised. "I'm glad we are ALL here on this trip and look forward to the new memories that we'll create together."

"Adam you are so cheesy, it's sickening." Randy gagged in disgust.

"Oh stop. I think Adam is such a papa bear. He just wants us all to enjoy this trip together, enjoy each other's company and make new and fond memories." Stacy added causing Randy and Amy to stick a finger in their mouth and pretend to gag some more.

"Oh please, someone get me a fucken bucket, I'm overdosing on all this cheesiness." Amy responded causing the group to break out in laughter.

"Hey, why am I missing out on all of the fun here?" Came the eerie voice of Candice, who had finally woken from her beauty slumber and joined the group in the water. She looked as if she belonged on the catwalk, modelling the latest summer bikini line, wearing a swimsuit that would only be worn on a runway. She wore a black triangular bikini which struggled to cover her large breast, with rhinestones running along the ties that tied around her neck and hips. Something one wouldn't normally bring to the woods.

"Great…I forgot about Princess Sparkles, clearly I must have erased her being here from my memory. Amy insulted as she rolled her eyes.

"Now now Amy, play nice" Matt whispered, though not convincingly.

Trish was starting to feel anxious and jittery. Handling Jason in close proximity was hard enough and now, Candice was joining the group in the water. Just like in the cabin, she felt the strong need to get out and create some distance between them all. She contemplated how she was going to do this, it was much hard to escape from a lake than it was from a room in the cabin. She knew that in just a few moments, everyone's eyes would dart in her direction, creating some unwanted awkwardness. She knew that either Adam, Amy and even Jeff would try to stop her from leaving, which was the last thing that she wanted with Jason and Candice so near. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction that their presence together caused her so much discomfort. They had plenty of that when she hid herself for the last two months.

"Ah, there's the most hottest girl that I have ever had the pleasure of calling mine." Jason proclaimed loudly, knowing full well that his statement was going to affect Trish deeply, as Candice made herself comfortable in Jason's lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Just as she suspected, eyes started to dart in Trish's direction. Trish started to feel numb, Jason was right, his comment had a very big effect on Trish. That was not something she was expecting to hear and though he masked it well, Trish knew it was a direct insult made to her, in front of everyone. It was a like a dagger through the heart. She needed to leave. She needed to get out of there, but before she had the opportunity to do so, Jay rubbed some salt into her wounds by bringing Candice's lips to his and kissing her passionately, making it perfectly clear to her and everyone else that they were engaging in a game of tonsil hockey.

That was it. That was the icing on the cake. Though Trish found out about Jason's infidelities with Candice, she never witnessed their affection first hand and it was something that she never prepared herself for.

"I think I've had enough fun for one day." Trish murmured softly, trying her best to swallow the big lump in her throat and fight off the stinging sensation of the tears that were forming in her eyes. Trish excused herself and stood up from the water, quickly making her way over to her things and picking up her bag and towel before walking off as fast as she could.

Noticing that he accomplished what he set out to do, Jason broke from his kiss with Candice as his eyes followed Trish. "What's got her panties in a twist?" Jason sarcastically questions with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Why do you have to be a complete douchebag?!" Jeff spat aggressively, causing Jason to become surprise by his reaction. He gave Jason a stern look before quickly following after Trish. It wasn't his intention to involve himself in drama that didn't concern him, but Jeff had had enough of Jason's insensitivity and rudeness towards Trish. No one deserved to be treated that way.

"Jeff was being nice when he called you a douchebag…you're a fucken asshole Jay!" Amy added bluntly before she too got up and followed after Jeff and Trish.

"How you and Adam came from the same family tree I will never understand" Matt grumbled as he looked at Jason with disgust.

"I tell you what Matt, I'm ashamed to call him my brother right now." Adam stated, staring at his younger brother, disappointment written all over his face.

Everyone then proceeded to get out of the water and grab their things leaving Candice and Jason behind. Their afternoon was now ruined thanks to Jason's behaviour and everyone was more concerned about putting their time and energy into making sure Trish was okay than wasting their breath on scolding Jason.

"Well that escalated quickly" Candice finally said as everyone disappeared into the woods. All Jason could do was simply roll his eyes.

-End of Chapter-


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **_Hey guys! I have another update for you! I love the lightheartedness of this story so I couldn't ignore the creative juices that were flowing and as a result, Chapter Six was born! Anyway, I once again can't thank you enough for all your comments and reviews! Literally they are the highlight of my day! I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, happy reading! =)_

**Chapter Six**

Trish was relieved when she could see the cabin in her sights, but it was like her legs and feet wouldn't move fast enough. She was doing her best to fight off the tears that were slipping out of the corner of her eyes against her will. She could hear Jeff calling out for her in the distance but she completely ignored him. She didn't feel like talking, even if it was Jeff. She just wanted to lock herself in her room and bury herself underneath the sheets, shielding herself from the cruelness of the world. Why did she ever think that coming on this trip was a good idea? Why did she think that she was ready to face six months of her past and two months of torture and heartache head on?

Trish reached the cabin door and jerked the door knob. Unfortunately for Trish, Adam had locked up before they left and only he and Matt had the keys to the cabin.

"Just my luck" Trish sighed as she banged her fist against the door in frustration before leaning her forehead against it in defeat, taking a moment to just breathe.

"Trish?" Came the soft southern voice of her blue haired friend. "Are you okay?"

"Not now Jeff please." Trish exhaled as she closed her eyes, still trying to jerk the doorknob, hoping that it will magically open.

Jeff's eyes darted to her struggle with the door. "Look, I know you don't want to talk, but that door won't be opening any time soon, no matter how hard you try."

"I could always break a window." She quietly snapped back.

Jeff couldn't help but smirk at her comment. "Before you go breaking anything, how about we just sit down for a moment while we wait for everyone to come back."

Trish let out another deep breath, letting go of the doorknob and turning around. "Jeff I know what you're trying to do, I just want…" she stopped midsentence as her eyes fell upon the North Carolinian standing in front of her. With her mind elsewhere, she had momentarily forgotten that they had just come from swimming in the lake, until a certain blue haired man stood half naked in front of her, his blue hair wet and dripping, the droplets of water falling onto his chest and sliding down his sculpted, slender, athletic physique. She bit down on her bottom lip as she took in her view, forgetting everything she was about to say.

Jeff looked at her quizzically, arching his brow, curious as to why she had stopped midsentence. "You want what?" Jeff questioned. "Trish…? You feeling okay, you look a little flushed." He added, noticing the change in colour of her cheeks.

"I just…uh…I just…need to sit down." She struggled to say, placing her hand on her head as Jeff guided her to the same seat where she sat earlier this morning before their little stroll through the woods.

As Trish sat in the chair, dealing with her whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, Jeff leaned up against the porch railing, staring at the quiet blonde in front of him. The two were silent, waiting for the others to arrive.

"Okay…" Jeff said breaking the silence as he knelt down in front of Trish. "I know that you don't want to talk about it, but I really need to let you know that you can't let him get away with treating you like that."

Trish couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was exactly what she was expecting everyone to say and she just wasn't having it. "Jeff…it's fine."

"No it's not fine!" Jeff snapped back as he placed a hand on Trish's bare thigh, catching her off guard by his touch. "The fact that you think it's fine, means there is something seriously wrong with you."

"Hey" Trish said a little insulted by his last comment.

"I don't mean it in a bad way Trish. You can't let him treat you like that. You don't deserve it. No one deserves to be treated like that unless your Jay himself. Look, I may not know the full story about what went down between the two of you, but I know enough to know that you have done nothing to deserve that kind of hostility and insensitivity that he gave to you just then."

Trish could start to feel the tears creep up again in her eyes. "Jeff, it's just easier for me to walk away."

"But walking away gives him and Candice the satisfaction that they've gotten to you. You are stopping everything in your life just to avoid having to deal with them, but truth be told, you're only doing more harm to yourself."

"It's just easier that way."

"It might be easier, but it doesn't make it right. Trish no matter how many times you relive that exact moment in your head where everything went wrong, you can't go back and change it. Things happen for a reason and it sucks. It sucks that you're the one that had to deal with all the pain and the heartbreak that Jay caused you, but imagine the pain that he would feel knowing that he wasn't your be all and end all. Imagine the pain that he would feel knowing that you're happier without him."

"But I'm not. He was my be all and end all." Trish cried. The tears were flowing now and there was no stopping them.

It broke Jeff's heart seeing her so broken. He knew that she didn't want to talk nor did she want to hear the things that Jeff was saying, but it was time that she started to focus on healing herself rather than avoiding the issue any longer. He gently brought his hand to her face and using his thumb to wipe her tears away. Unintentionally, she lent her face in his palm.

"Trish…someone who you made your priority, while they made you their option, doesn't deserve to be your be all and end all." Jeff responded softly. "I know that it might not seem like it now, but my father told me growing up that 'pain makes you stronger, fear makes you braver and heartbreak makes you wiser.' Trust me, Jay will feel more pain and experience ample amounts of regret when he sees you moving on and are happier without him."

Trish took a moment to let Jeff's words sink in. Her hazel eyes focused on the emerald pair looking back at her, she was mesmerized, hypnotized and captivated all at the same time. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Jeff was right. Everything he said was right. It was clear that Trish didn't mean anything to Jason for him to go and cheat on her, let alone move on so quickly.

"I loved him so much Jeff…I can't believe he would treat me like dirt." Trish sobbed.

"Hey, hey, come on now darlin'…" Jeff tried to soothe as he wiped away her tears. "I get it, breakups hurt, but losing someone that never appreciated you or respected you is not a loss Trish, it's a gain. You are better off without him."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to face him and Candice."

"Don't you see Trish, you already have, which shows me that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. It's not going to be easy, but every day, slowly and surely it will get better and you have such a great support team behind you."

"Why are you being so kind to me Jeff?"

"Because unlike Jason, I can see your worth. In the short time that I've known you, I know that you are a woman of resilience, compassion and have the purest of hearts. You're broken, but you don't want people to see you broken, you would rather take the high road, which shows your strength. You're kind and you're genuine and you're willing to give a punk ass blue haired stranger the time of day." Jeff smiled.

"You don't want to get to know me Jeff, I'm not worth getting to know."

"And yet here I am thinking that you are."

Not another word was shared as the two just stared at each other in complete silence, not realizing the immense power that Jeff's sentence had behind it. Neither of them acknowledging the strong gravitational pull they had between each other.

"Hey is everything okay?" Amy's voice interrupted, snapping Jeff and Trish out of their little trance as she cautiously stepped up onto the porch.

"Uhh…yeah", Jeff awkwardly cleared his throat as he was quick to stand up. Rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes glanced from the blonde to the red head. "Just checking if Trish was okay. Uhh…where were you? The last time I saw you, you were right behind me." Jeff questioned trying to divert the conversation.

"Yeah I was but you were too far ahead and then I heard Matt calling out and so I waited. Everyone else got up and left as soon as you did, the douchebag and his princess stayed behind" Amy then glanced over at her best friend who sat with her head down, eyes focused on the ground.

Amy walked over and knelt down next to Trish as she ran her hand through her blonde locks, brushing a strand aside and tucking it behind her ear so that she could see her face.

"Hey bestie, how you holding up?" Amy asked in a soft and caring tone.

Trish didn't answer. She just sat there in silence, still letting Jeff's words sink in. She was so conflicted, she didn't know what to do with herself. She knew she would have had to face this situation eventually, but she didn't know how truly painful it was going to be and what made the situation harder, was that she couldn't escape. She couldn't just pack up and get in the car and drive away, leaving her friends stranded in the woods. She was not that type of person, but it was just so hard to be around them and though her friends had the best intentions, she couldn't handle being treated like she was a fragile piece of glass.

The rest of the group soon arrived and stood, staring, eyes filled with concern for their petite blonde friend.

"Trish, I want to sincerely apologize for my brother's actions. He is a complete ass." Adam apologized before fiddling around for the key.

"Pfft…that's putting it lightly." Amy scoffed as she stood, hands placed on her hips in anger. "Isn't there another cabin around where those two can stay in…perhaps one in a different state!" She snapped.

"Amy…he's still my brother." Adam responded.

"We're still waiting for the DNA results" Amy joked sourly.

Adam narrowed his eyes.

"You can't ignore Jay's actions. He can't be treating Trish like that. He's the one that cheated, he has no right." Stacy chimed in.

"He's just being a typical jealous ex-boyfriend." Randy added causing everyone, except Trish, to glance at him curiously.

"Jealous? He's got a girlfriend why would he be jealous?" Matt asked.

"Come on guys it's pretty obvious. Jay can't stand seeing Trish having fun, laughing, smiling and giggling around with Jeff. The fact that she's getting along with another guy is eating him up inside. He's jealous."

All eyes then turned to Jeff, who glanced around at everyone staring at him as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a huge wave of awkwardness.

"Well so he should feel jealous!" Amy scowled. "It's about time Trish experiences some happiness. Hell, she deserves it and if Jeff's the reason than so be it."

Jeff couldn't help but shoot a quick glance at Trish. She still remained seated, avoiding all eye contact with everyone but the ground.

"Look, I understand what Jay did was inexcusable, but that doesn't mean that we should banish him away. He is still a valid member of our group." Adam stated.

"Unfortunately." Amy scoffed once again, her annoyance growing each time Adam would defend his brother.

"Amy that's enough. He's my brother and I want him here just as much as I want Trish here." His frustration starting to seep through.

"Well that's the difference. Everybody wants Trish here and only you want Jay and his disposal piece of trash here!"

"Guys come on let's not get fired up here." Stacy tried to intervene.

"You've always had an issue with my brother haven't you Amy. Just admit it." Adam accused.

"I didn't have an issue with him when I thought he was making Trish happy. Then we found out it was all complete bullshit!"

"That's not true and you know it. He did love Trish."

"He never loved her! He loved the idea of Trish! He just wanted to have the hottest girl in school around his arm just to climb the social ladder." Amy argued.

"Enough!" Trish yelled, standing from her chair, causing everyone to spin their heads in her direction. "Look, I appreciate you guys standing up for me, I honestly do, but I'm sick of everyone cradling me. I can deal with this whole thing my way and in my own time. Now Adam can you please open the fucken door!"

Everyone was stunned by her little outburst. Since the breakup, it was the first time that she really stood up for herself, even if it was to them that she stood up to. Hearing her curse was surprising to them. She was the sweetheart of the group and it was very rare that she used a curse word, so they knew that she was really hurting.

Adam was quick to open the door as Trish was quick to rush inside and head upstairs to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Just give her some time." Amy advised as everyone began to enter the cabin. "If I know her, she won't stay mad for long. She loves us too much."

As everyone went their separate ways, Jeff headed towards his room stopping in front of the door opposite his. He thought about the girl that locked herself behind that door. Being the tortured soul he was, he knew that that locked door was only the first barrier to the many walls that she created after Jason's infidelities. The many insecurities she now possessed. The girl behind that door now lacked confidence in herself, she no longer thought she was worth somebody's time, she no longer thought she deserved to feel valued, respected or loved. But what really upset him the most was knowing that she longer thought that she was beautiful both on the inside and outside. Jeff thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever crossed paths with. He could see her inner beauty. She had so much inner beauty that it overflowed from the inside to the outside. She was breathtakingly stunning; her big hazel eyes that were like floor to ceiling windows to her soul, her luscious lips that on the rare occasion would turn into a smile or giggle. Her blonde angelic hair that cascaded around her shoulders like a shining bright waterfall and her sultry figure that had all the right curves in all the right places. She was beautiful and he was determined to remind her of that.

Remembering Trish in her tight, figure hugging bikini sent a pleasurable sensation through his body. It caused goose bumps to form on his skin. Jeff cleared a lump that had formed in his throat as he run his fingers through his blue hair. "I think I need a cold shower" he said to himself, as he headed to his room.

**•••••**

After burying her head in her pillows and crying to herself, Trish laid silently in her bed, staring out at the scenic view through her big bay window. What was she going to do with herself? She knew what she had to do, but after experiencing two months of pain and heartbreak, she wasn't willing to put herself through any more pain.

A quiet knock came from her door as she tried to ignore it.

"Trish, it's me." Came the familiar voice of her best friend. "Can I come in please?"

Trish didn't say a word. She remained still, staring out of the window.

"I don't hear a no, so I'm going to come in okay?"

Trish heard the door creak open before feeling her bed sink as Amy climbed into bed, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"I know you don't want to talk, but I wanted to see if my bestie is doing okay."

"I'm fine Ames. Really…I'll be okay." Trish whispered.

"You know that I'm here for you if you ever need anything. If you want to talk, smash something, eat ice-cream, you name it."

She couldn't help a small smile from forming on her face. Amy always had the knack for finding ways to make Trish smile.

"Speaking of food." Amy continued. "Adam and Matt have prepared a lovely meal for our family dinner tonight and I think it would be such a waste if you don't join us."

"I'm not really hungry Ames."

"I know, but you would be doing me a favour. You see I'm on this diet where I can only eat my meal and not my friends meal also, so I kinda need you to take one for the team."

Trish let out a little laugh as Amy wiped a few tears that escaped Trish's eyes.

"Well if I have to take one for the team…" Trish replied as she turned to look at her red haired friend and smiled. "Thanks Amy." She added.

"Any time soul sister. I love you and you know that I've got your back always."

"I know. I'm very lucky. Sorry for lashing out at you guys before." Trish apologised.

"Hey, I was actually glad to see some emotion. Last time I saw you lash out like that was when we were at that party and you thought you could take on the 6 foot 5 guy that grabbed your ass."

"Hey, I had every right."

"Trish, it was like a chihuahua taking on a great dane." Amy teased. The two of them laughed as they took a trip down memory lane.

"I guess it's no surprise Jason was nowhere to be found that night." Trish said sadly.

"You didn't need him anyway." Amy replied. "So…you coming down to join us?" Amy questioned.

"Yeah, I think I'll just go have a shower first."

"Good luck with that, just about everyone's had a shower, so you'll be lucky if you have any hot water left." Amy climbed off of the bed and made her way to the door before looking over her shoulder at her favourite blonde who had managed to climb out of bed. "I'm proud of you Stratus" she added, throwing a smile Trish's way. "See you downstairs."

Trish grabbed her towel and made her way to the bathroom. She was looking forward to a shower. She still had her bikinis on and couldn't wait to get them off and get herself into some clean and comfortable clothing. She was feeling a little better and a little hungry. Matt and Adam were great cooks and she was looking forward to a delicious meal, even though she wasn't looking forward to sitting at the same table as Jason and Candice.

As she opened the door to the bathroom, she let out a high pitch shriek. "Oh my God! Jeff...Uh... I'm so sorry" she stuttered bringing a hand to cover her eyes.

Jeff let out a small chuckle as he wrapped a towel around his waist. "All clear" he said watching as Trish peered cautiously through her fingers to make sure it was safe to look.

Jeff leaned up against the vanity as he watched Trish's face go extremely red. He ran his hand shyly through his hair, feeling a little awkward but a little pleased to see her, trying to ignore the fact that she pretty much saw him completely naked.

"Jeff, I'm so sorry. I should have knocked." Trish mumbled, not realizing that she was struggling a little to breathe. She couldn't help but stare at the chiselled body in front of her. His slender athletic build, the sculpted marks of his abs and the deep v outline that poked out from his towel which had slipped a little further down from his waist.

"It's okay. I was done anyway." Jeff replied struggling to take his eyes off of the woman standing in front of him with her red bikinis on. The same image which caused him to jump in and have a cold shower in the first place.

"Do you know what. I'm just going to wait outside till you're done." Trish responded awkwardly.

"It's okay Trish. I'm done. I've just got to chuck some clothes on."

"You do that. Yep. Just pop your clothes on and I'll wait outside."

"You sure?"

"Yep. I'm sure. I don't mind waiting long…ah I mean hard…ah I mean big! Ah…I…I…I'm just going to go." Trish uttered, a wave of embarrassment flooding through her body due to her awkward choice of words. She quickly stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Feeling her heart thumping through her chest and an incredible amount of heat rising within her body, she took a moment to compose herself.

"Wow!" she mouthed silently as she made her way back to her room.

-End of Chapter-


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **_Guess who's back...back again...SpawnofMe's back...tell a friend! Hey guys! It has been a minute since we last spoke! I do apologize sincerely for my absence but life has been a bit of a whirlwind and I lost touch with my creative outlet. But the good news is I'm back! So let's get straight to business. Our favorite characters are back and their stories continue, so I'm not going to hold you up any longer. Hope you guys enjoy Chapter 7, so excited to see what you guys think! Let me know in the reviews and like always happy reading! :) _

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured in the story. All characters featured belong to themselves and the WWE.

Warning: This chapter contains some adult themes.

**Chapter Seven**

Dinner went smoothly, though no-one really talked much, everyone was trying their best to get along and enjoy the meal that Matt and Adam had prepared for everyone.

Adam picked up a tray and held it out in front of Trish. "Trish would you like a sausage?" He asked politely.

"No!" She responded a little too quickly that it caught the attention of everyone around the table. "I mean…no thank you. Think I've seen enough sausages for one day."

Everyone glanced at one another puzzled by her response. Trish could feel a pair of emerald eyes penetrating in her direction. She glanced up as her gaze met Jeff's and the two of them tried to fight off a smile. Only the two of them knew the reason behind Trish's response as they bowed their heads and tried to put their focus back on their meal, struggling to contain themselves from laughing.

Jason noticed the exchanged looks between the two and it caused him to get more annoyed than he already was. Candice had been on his nerves since the group left the lake and he had had enough of her for one day. He thought that after his little stunt he pulled with Candice in front of Trish that she would still be wallowing in self-pity and heart ache. But she wasn't and this infuriated him. He was even more annoyed that a certain blue hair stranger was receiving the majority of her attention.

Once everyone had finished dinner and the washing up had been done, the group moved to the lounge area. Jason had stormed up to his room after dinner and was followed by Candice not long after.

The lounge area was snug and cozy. It was lit up by the large fireplace as the lighting from the flames flickered across the room. Amy sat on one end of the large couch as Matt laid, resting his head in her lap as she stroked his hair. Randy and Stacy snuggled up on the other end of the couch whilst Adam was outstretched in one of the matching recliners. Trish was also snuggled up in a recliner, though she hadn't opened up her recliner just yet. She sat with her legs hanging over the arm rest of the chair with a book in her hand. After having a shower, she had changed into a simple white t-shirt and some baby pink short shorts. She felt a lot more relaxed than she did earlier on today. Jeff was seated on the rug by the fireplace, leaning his back up against an ottoman with his guitar in his hand, strumming a few chords every now and then. Every so often his eyes would dart across the room at Trish. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Even in her comfiest attire, she looked stunning. The ambient lighting of the fireplace highlighting her face and legs just added to her beauty.

"Now this is the life." Adam said, his hands folded behind his head as he stared at all his friends. "A great meal and some relaxation time with good company."

Matt looked towards his brother. "Hey Jeff. Why don't you play us something?"

A small smile came across the younger Hardy's face. "Uh, you know me Matt. Still a little rusty at this thing. Maybe some other time."

The sound of his southern drawl caused Trish to look up from her book and over at Jeff who caught her glance. He threw a small smile her way and was happy when she returned with a smile of her own before returning to her book. He was finding it hard to concentrate on his guitar, his focus continuously getting drawn Trish's way. What was the matter with him? He couldn't quite understand why he was so intrigued and fascinated by Trish. There was just this unexpected, unexplained gravitational pull that drew him towards her. He wasn't quite sure if it was her beauty, her innocence or her vulnerability, he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, all he knew was that it was getting harder and harder to ignore.

The group chatted amongst themselves before Jason and Candice entered the room, holding hands, making themselves comfortable on the small two seater couch not far from Trish. The chatter amongst the group became silent as they awkwardly glance at one another.

"So what did I miss?" Jason asked with a smirk as Candice laid her legs across his lap.

No one but Adam had spoken to Jason since his little stunt in the lake, everyone just glanced at one another waiting for someone to answer the question.

"Not much Jay. Just relaxing by the fire." Adam replied after a long awkward silence.

Jason glanced over at Trish who was focused on her book, trying her best to ignore Jay and Candice getting cozy on the couch next to her. He began to trace his fingers up and down Candice's legs, giving Candice chills of the good kind running through her body.

"So…Trish. What are you reading?" Jason asked causing everyone to turn their attention his way. It was the first time since they arrived that he had addressed and spoken to her, purely for conversational purposes rather than insulting her in some way. Everyone was in disbelief, none more than Trish who glanced at everyone else, hoping that she heard wrong.

"Well…?" Jason asked, giving Trish a penetrating glare as he waited for an answer.

"Umm…it's nothing. Just about a girl trying to find who she is after going through a traumatic experience." Trish replied hesitantly, noticing Jason's intimate physical contact with Candice.

"Sounds boring." Jason replied rolling his eyes. "Can't relate."

Trish scoffed. "Funny, because the girl in this story became that way after her long-time boyfriend cheated on her and lied to her face. Pretty sure you can relate." It was a direct dig at Jason and he wasn't expecting that one bit. Neither did anyone else.

"Yeah girl!" Amy praised, not realizing she had said it out loud, until Jason's eyes met hers with an intense glare. "I mean…" Amy stuttered before faking a coughing fit to cover herself.

"Yes…well…maybe the guy in your story cheated because he wasn't getting what he needed with that girl and was getting everything he wanted with the other" Jason spat back his glare shifting from Amy to Trish. The ex-lovers simply looked at each other, staring. Neither one spoke a word after that. Trish couldn't believe he had the audacity to say such a thing. How dare he? Jason gave her a look as if to say 'two can play at that game' before a cunning smirk appeared across his face.

Now having got Trish's full attention, he turned his focus to Candice who looked at him longingly. Sure, everyone frowned upon how the two got together, but she was madly in love with him and she wanted the whole world to know. Jason then slowly slid his hand all the way up her leg and underneath her silk nightie, leaving very little to everyone's imagination. Candice bit down on her bottom lip as her breathing became heavier. She quickly grabbed the back of Jason's head and pulled him towards her as they engaged in another public round of tonsil hockey.

Trish felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe he had gone and done it again, absolutely humiliating her in front of their friends. She had never felt so much rage and hurt seep into her like she did at this very moment. She thought that maybe humiliating her earlier today was enough to satisfy him or the fact that he left her tortured for two months. But it wasn't enough. Not for Jason. He had to go and pretty much put on a live sexual performance right in front of her.

Everyone could not believe their eyes. They thought what they witnessed at the lake was bad but this was a whole new level of low.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two, you sick fucks!" Amy blurted out is disgust, causing Jason to pull away, leaving Candice pining for more.

"What? I'm just showing my woman some love." Jason replied with a pleased grin. He could see Trish's reaction and it was exactly what he wanted.

"Go show it somewhere else! You guys have a fucken room! You make everyone sick. You have no decency or respect for anyone else but more importantly, you have no ounce of respect for Trish!" Amy was beyond mad. Matt was trying his best to keep her calm but he was failing miserably.

"It's a free country, I can do whatever I like with whoever I like, wherever I like. So pipe down red. Don't pretend you don't enjoy what you see. I know you secretly want me sweetheart." Jason replied still smiling.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you went back to fancying sophisticated, intelligent women. I thought trash bag hoes were more your current taste." Amy snapped back. "Besides, I would rather gauge out my eyes with a toothpick than be with a self-centred, psychotic asshole like you." She added, disgusted by his comment.

"Jay, why don't you take Candice up to your room. I think we've seen enough for one day." Adam strongly advised.

"Hey I paid to be here just like everyone else, so I am entitled to enjoy this place just like all of you. It's not my fault that princess Trishy over here is still madly in love with me and can't stand seeing me with another woman." Jason insinuated, causing Candice to beam from ear to ear.

Jeff had had enough of Jason's behaviour. He was disgusted and appalled that a human being like Jason actually existed. He couldn't imagine how someone could live with themselves treating someone like the way Jay treated Trish. Jeff placed his guitar down, waiting for Jason to open his big mouth again.

"You know what, Jay's right." Trish finally said, causing everyone to become surprised. "He is entitled to do whatever he pleases wherever he wants. I'm just going to excuse myself." She continued as she stood from her chair.

"Trish you don't have to…" Amy began before Trish raised her hand to silence her.

"It's okay Amy. You all enjoy your night." She replied softly, fighting back tears that were beginning to form before she turned to walk out of the lounge area.

Just as Trish was just about to exit, she felt a hand gently grab hers, stopping her from leaving. She turned only to be met with the emerald eyes she had become all too familiar with and accustomed too.

"Please stay" Jeff said softly in his southern drawl, his captivating eyes pleading.

She didn't want to. She wanted to do exactly what she had been doing this entire trip and that was to simply leave and get far away as possible from her ex. But there was something about Jeff that created this want in her to stay. He had this calmness about him, which instilled a calmness in her. Jeff's words from earlier today started to flood back into her mind, reminding her that she didn't deserve to be treated the way Jason was treating her and that it was time she stood up for herself. It's time she stopped allowing Jason from dictating her life any longer. She was hurting immensely by his behaviour and actions, but she had to make a start somewhere.

She gently squeezed Jeff's hand as she let out a big sigh before Jeff guided her back into the room. Everyone was shocked to see Trish re-enter as she sat herself down next to Jeff on the rug next to the fireplace.

Amy couldn't help but smile as she saw her best friend walk back into the room. Matt threw a wink and a small smile Jeff's way as he cuddled up next to Amy. He could see something blossoming between his younger brother and the blonde sweetheart, but he wasn't going to push anything just yet. He would let fate take its course. Amy leant her head against her boyfriend's chest as she watched Trish and Jeff giggle and talk amongst themselves. Even Adam, Randy and Stacy were smiling, happy that Trish had decided to stay with them.

Jason on the other hand began to see red. This was not how he expected things to go. This was not the way it was meant to go down. Trish was meant to storm off, lock herself in her room and cry herself to sleep over him just like she had been for the last two months. Why was she back in the room, getting comfortable with Jeff, laughing and giggling? She had no right to be happy. He continued to watch on as Trish and Jeff talked amongst themselves.

"I'm glad you decided to stay" Jeff said softly as he stared into the hazel eyes looking back at him. He knew she felt uncomfortable, but she was taking a step towards healing herself and he was happy he could be a part of her healing.

"Well, I can't say I'm thrilled about remaining in the same room with those two, but I'm glad you brought me back in. Thanks Jeff." She said shyly as she tucked a piece of her blonde locks behind her ear before looking up and smiling at Jeff.

"Trust me. The fact that you're still here is probably eating him up inside. He thought he could break you with that disgusting stunt he pulled before." Jeff commented.

The two off them quickly glanced over at Jason, catching him glaring that them. They turned their attention back to each other and let out a little laugh.

"It's also probably killing him that you're sitting here with me." Jeff added.

"Yeah well imagine if I got even closer to you. He would probably lose it." Trish stated with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Jeff questioned, a little confused.

"Here" she said before making her way closer to Jeff, leaning in bringing her lips close to his ear.  
"Just pretend that I'm whispering something hilariously funny in your ear." Trish whispered softly, sending a tingling sensation down Jeff's back. "Now smile, let out a little chuckle and then have a quick glance at Jason." Jeff did as he was told, a little taken by surprise at the closeness and boldness of Trish. He then quickly turned his attention to Jason who was sending a chilling glare their way.

"You weren't kidding, he looks mad as hell." Jeff informed, turning his head quickly back to Trish not realising how close she still was to him. His breath caught in his mouth as he came nose to nose with Trish. His heart rate began to accelerate as did hers and their heavy breaths could be felt upon each other as their lips were merely inches apart. The two froze, staring at each other momentarily before Trish cleared her throat, pulling away and returning to her original position on the rug.

"Uhh…" Jeff began, clearing the lump that had also formed in his throat. "You were right." He added. That same gravitational pull he had been experiencing around Trish was stronger than ever and he was trying his best to remain unphased by the sensation.

"I…told you" She stuttered. Trish felt the exact same sensation racing through her body. Her heart was thumping so hard, she felt that it would come flying straight out of her chest. She tried her best to take in slow, deep breaths to get her breathing and heart rate back under control as her eyes were fixated on Jeff's. The two of them simply smiled a bashful, blushing smile.

Witnessing all this, Jason was livid. He had never felt so much hatred and rage than he did right now. Jason worked out early on in his and Trish's relationship that her eyes were the window to her entire being; her heart, her mind, her soul. No actions or words could speak any louder than what her eyes could and seeing the way Trish looked at Jeff just then was a look that Jason was all too familiar with. Jeff was growing on Trish and this did not sit well with him one bit. He had this sadistic obsession of making Trish's life miserable. He didn't know why, but he got pure enjoyment knowing that Trish was still miserable after they broke things off, that he had this massive effect on her for her to be hurting all this time. He enjoyed the fact that she was pining for him, even after they had broken things off. There was no way he was going to let some blue haired, tattooed freak be her knight in shining armour. He wasn't done with Trish and if Jason couldn't have Trish, then no one was.

He stood up and grabbed Candice's hand pulling her up, a little harsher than he intended to but he was too consumed by rage. "Come on Candice, let's finish what we started upstairs."

He made his way towards exiting the lounge, pulling Candice behind him. "Bitch!" He scowled as he made his way pass his ex and Jeff, causing Trish and Jeff to stop what they were doing and look up at him in utter shock.

Jeff's face quickly turned from disbelief to anger. That was the last straw. He quickly stood up, causing Trish to turn her head just as quick.

"Hey!" Jeff yelled out grabbing onto Jason's shoulder, forcing him to spin around.

"What the hell is your problem blue?"

"My problem is, that is no way to be speaking to a woman."

"Look, not that it's any of your business" Jason said, pointing his finger into Jeff's chest. "But I only speak the truth. Not my fault you can't handle that." Jason replied, a smug look still etched on his face before turning to leave. But before he could Jeff quickly grabbed onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks once again.

"You see…" Jeff began as he still held a firm hold on Jason's arm, running his hand through his hair before given Jason a stern look. "When you've been disrespecting a woman all day, it becomes my problem."

"Jeff it's okay. Just let it go." Trish tried to intervene, her hand placed on Jeff's chest trying to create some distance between him and Jason. The back and forth bickering caught the attention of everyone else in the room. Matt could feel the tension growing as did Adam, and the two of them sat on the edge of their seat, preparing themselves to come to their younger sibling's defence.

"Look man." Jason continued. "She's not your woman, so she's not your problem. While we're at it, I don't know what your game plan is with all this time you're putting into her, but just remember one thing…she was my woman first."

"Well she aint your woman now. She is not some kind of possession that you can claim ownership of and she sure as hell doesn't deserve the treatment that you've been giving her!" Jeff scowled.

"Jeff come on, let's just go." Trish tried once again.

"You're wasting your time with her, blue. Take it from me, she ain't gonna put out as much as you want her too." Jason advised as he and Candice snorted in laughter.

"It was the reason Jay here went looking somewhere else." Candice chimed in.

Trish paused before she turned her focus onto Candice. "Excuse me?" She said, letting go of Jeff and taking a step closer to Candice. The two men managed to tear their attention away from each other momentarily and onto the girls. Everyone else in the room were now all on the edge of their seats invested in the confrontation that was unfolding.

"You heard me." Candice continued. "Trish you might have the body, but you don't know how to work it like I do. You know, if you kept your man happy in the bedroom, he wouldn't have been looking to get satisfied elsewhere."

Trish bit down on her bottom lip, trying to stop herself from slapping the smug smile off of her face. "Maybe I would have put out more, if your man wasn't such a disappointment in the bedroom." Trish bit back.

A collective gasp from the other members of the group could be heard. This was a huge blow to Jason's ego as it would be to any man's ego and he was trying his best to remain unphased, but his stunned expression said otherwise.

"Don't get me wrong, the foreplay was great…on my part at least, but when it came to actual sex, he couldn't last longer than five minutes. Then he uses this excuse of how I'm so hot that he couldn't control himself." Trish continued, as Candice's jaw dropped. "Judging by your facial expression, it's not the first time you've heard that excuse." Trish quickly pointed out with a little smile as she noticed the astonished expression on Jason's face.

"Ouch!" Randy whispered as he, Matt and Adam exchanged looks.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to walk away from this situation unless you want any more dirty laundry to be aired out. Come on Jeff." Trish finished before grabbing onto Jeff's hand and making a beeline towards the front door, but before she could move Jeff squeezed Trish's hand stopping her in her tracks. He turned to Jason and smiled.

"See…I could have punched you and cracked your jaw, but my guess is that hurt a lot more than what a broken jaw would have." Jeff then turned to Trish as the two of them smiled, before walking out and leaving Candice and Jason shaken.

Once outside, Trish could feel her heart pumping, the adrenaline was running through her veins, her hands were shaking from standing up to both Jason and Candice. Her main concern was Jeff and trying to prevent him getting into any confrontation with Jason, she never expected all that from herself. She actually surprised herself. She didn't think she had that in her.

"Trish that was amazing!" Jeff exclaimed as he pulled her into a hug. "I am so proud of you."

"Thanks." She muffled into his chest before stepping back and placing her hands on her hips, trying to compose herself. "Trust me, I don't know what happened in there, but I am physically shaking at the moment. I can't believe that just happened."

"How good does it feel standing up to Jason and Candice? You couldn't humiliate him more than you just did."

"Yeah, but by doing that aren't I just as bad as he is?" Trish questioned, second guessing if she had done the right thing.

"Trish…" Jeff placed his hands gently on her shoulders as she brought her gaze up towards him and his hypnotic emerald orbs. "You are nothing like him, don't even put yourself in the same category as him. If anything, he got what he deserved."

"Then why do I feel bad for what I just did?" Trish said, as she scratched her head in frustration.

"Because you're not heartless. But you shouldn't feel bad. This is good. This is a step in the right direction. This is part of your healing process. Trish you have to realize that sometimes you lose yourself trying to hold on to someone who doesn't care about losing you. You have to remember who you are. Who is Trish Stratus?" Jeff asked as he continued to look into her eyes. "Because I would really like to get to know the real her…and if she is anything like that confident, strong-willed woman I saw a glimpse of in there, then I know I'm going to really like her."

A bright smile etched across Trish's face as she stepped closer towards Jeff and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt his arms wrap around her and pulled her closer to his body, allowing her to inhale his sweet, sexy, masculine scent that she had smelt on his jumper earlier in the morning and she instantly found comfort. He had been nothing but sweet to Trish the moment he introduced himself to her, he knew she carried a lot of burden with her, yet he still took the time to get to know her and their connection was instantaneous. Now, she couldn't imagine not having Jeff around, she was very thankful for him.

"Thank you Jeff. I couldn't have done any of that without you." She mumbled into his chest. "Honestly I don't think I could have done this trip without you. Any ounce of strength that I have is because of you, you know."

Jeff chuckled a little to himself. "Trish, you always had the strength in you. I just helped to remind you that you had it in you."

The two of them remained silent in each other's embrace, Jeff's arms shielding Trish from the night's chill, her head rested under his chin. The silence was short lived as Jeff cleared his throat.

"So…umm…are we going to ignore the fact that you saw me pretty much naked?" He chuckled.

Trish's eyes shot wide open. Noticing that she was wrapped up against Jeff's body, Trish was quick to step back and create some distance between them. The forbidden images of walking in on Jeff and his naked body flooding back into her memory. Once again, her heart began pumping as heat rose straight through her body and her cheeks became flushed. She was speechless. She didn't know what to say to that.

He took a moment to look at Trish. Her sheer material of her white t-shirt was doing very little to hide what was underneath and the cool chill of the night air didn't help either. Her baby pink shorts clung tightly to her toned, tanned legs. Her luscious lips parted as she tried to control her breathing. The unexplainable gravitational pull was back and it was back with a vengeance. Jeff was losing his battle against it and it was almost consuming him entirely.

"You know…" Jeff continued as he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "I think it's only fair that we even out the playing field."

Again, shock was written all over Trish's face. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Jeff took yet another step closer, causing Trish to back up against the porch post. "You saw me naked…so…it's only fair I get to see you naked." He added, his brow arched and a seductive smirk planted on his face. Jeff closed the distance even more between them, his arm outstretched as he leaned his hand on the porch post above Trish's head.

Trish's chest was heaving as a whirlwind of emotions and sensations were flooding through her body. She stared straight into Jeff's eyes, unable to take in deep breaths, she was panting due to the limited distance between the two of them.

"You…have got to be joking." She finally managed to say.

Jeff's facial expression didn't change. "Do you see me laughing?"

"No…" Trish whispered faintly, her gaze never leaving Jeff's.

"Exactly. So…take it off Stratus."

-End of Chapter-


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Thanks again for the love on the last chapter. Was nervous about the last chapter because I was a little rusty but I appreciate the views and a big thank you to all those who took the time to review the last chapter. A special thank you to __**Sophia! **__Your long and detailed review deserves a shoutout! I appreciate all the detail and love so big thank you. Also a special thank you to __**TrishOrton **__who has been an OG reviewer! Glad to still have you on board on my stories. I appreciate __**Everyone's**__ reviews and feedback that I get on my stories and chapters. As cliche as it sounds, it does help keep the creative juices flowing and let's me know that I still got it! Hehe. Anyway enough chatting, here's another update for you guys, it's a little shorter than the previous ones, but I'm setting up for a big chapter next! So don't be afraid to let me know what you think and without further ado, here is Chapter 8! Hope you enjoy and as always, happy reading! :)  
(P.s: It's about 1:00AM here in Australia, so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors, I should be in bed right now. :P )_

**Chapter Eight**

Trish laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was struggling to get any rest. She couldn't help but think back to Jeff's little playful joke about levelling out the playing field. Sure, she saw him naked when she walked in on him in the bathroom, but that was accidental, she didn't plan on that happening. She couldn't help but think, was Jeff really joking about wanting to see her naked or was there some truth behind his playfulness and teasing? Was it merely to get a reaction out of her and make her squirm more so than she already did? Did he find enjoyment in making her feel uncomfortable around him or was there something more to it? She was having trouble erasing the way he looked at her from her memory. Those penetrating, mesmerising, hypnotizing emerald eyes that looked beyond hers and straight into her soul. She was always captivated by his eyes. What girl wouldn't be? But it was different this time, it seemed darker and more…smouldering than usual and it made her feel extremely weak at the knees that she was surprise she was able to hold herself up. Thank goodness for that porch post because otherwise she probably would have fallen to the ground. Also the way that he dared to push pass personal boundaries and get so close to her that he could have probably felt her heart racing and thumping through her chest. Was that all really to make her squirm? Sure they laughed, joked and played around, but something about this time felt different. What troubled her the most was the feeling she got when he laughed it off and informed her that he was merely joking and that the look on her face was priceless. At first she was mad that he could play her like that, smacking him across the chest was indicative of that. Then she felt relief, relieved that she didn't have to get naked in front of him, but then, she felt a little bit of disappointment which surprised her immensely. Why was she feeling disappointed? Did she want him to see her naked? Surely not. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt disappointment and it was troubling her.

After another hour of tossing and turning around in her bed, frustration saw Trish climb out of bed and pace around her room.

"Stratus! Stop it! Get your shit together and go to sleep!" She said out loud as she continued to pace, gripping her hair on top of her head in frustration. "Seriously. What is wrong with me? It was nothing, Jeff was just joking around like always. That's it. There's nothing more to it. You're over-thinking things like you always do." She tried to convince herself.

Trish decided that pacing around and talking to herself was pointless. She decided that maybe if she goes downstairs and has something warm to drink that it might help put her mind at ease and maybe eventually some rest. As she slowly opened the door to her bedroom, trying not to make a sound, she was surprised to see Jeff open his door at the very same moment.

"Hey…Trish." Jeff whispered, just as surprised to see Trish standing in her doorway. "What are you still doing up?"

Trish couldn't believe the coincidence. What were the chances that Jeff was still awake and that he decided to hop out of bed and head out of his room at the exact moment that she was? It took a moment for Trish to reply as she stood staring or more so gawking at the man standing in front of her. Jeff blue hair was ruffled up in the messy bedhead hair type of way but a lot sexier and he wore nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants with the drawstrings loosely tied. Her eyes were fixated on his slender, athletic build. His toned stomach and the tattoos wrapped around his sculpted arm. He looked just as good out of bed as he did when she walked in on him after his shower in the bathroom.

"I…uhh…couldn't sleep" she finally said softly after what felt like several minutes, bringing her attention to Jeff's face. "I was just going to make some hot chocolate. Would you like to join me?"

A small smile etched across Jeff's face. "I'd like that."

Once downstairs in the kitchen, Jeff sat himself on one of the barstools by the island bench whilst Trish prepared the hot chocolate.

"So why are you still up?" Trish asked curiously.

"Couldn't get to sleep for some reason." Jeff replied. "I don't really know why. Adam fell asleep in the lounge so you would think I would be sleeping like a baby without his excessively loud snoring."

"He fell asleep in the lounge? Everyone just left him there?"

"Apparently." Jeff responded before the two shared a chuckle.

Once ready, Trish handed Jeff his mug as she stood, holding hers in between her hands, the warmth of the mug bringing a sense of calmness to her.

"Thanks Trish." Jeff said politely, taking a sip, not taking his attention off the beautiful blonde in front of him, He placed his mug gently down on the surface of the island bench, circling his finger around the rim of his mug, seemingly in deep thought. "Trish…I hope that my little joke before out on the porch wasn't crossing any boundaries or anything, I'm really sorry if it did."

Trish froze for a moment, wondering if he had the abilities to read her thoughts. Why would he bring that up? Taking a sip of her hot chocolate, she looked at Jeff who wore a sincere, apologetic expression on his face. "What? No not at all." Trish replied. "I mean, I can't say I wasn't a little stunned. A part of me did think you were being serious for a moment. I will say I was relieved when you said you were joking." Trish chuckled, though not as convincingly as she would have liked. She decided to withhold the information about her feeling a little disappointed. "I got you back though." She grinned before taking another sip of her drink.

"That you did. Still feel a little bruised from that whack you gave me." Jeff said, gently rubbing the area of impact.

"You'll survive." Trish teased. "Let that be a lesson to ya."

"Duly noted." Jeff smiled, taking another sip. "This hot chocolate tastes amazing. Just like the way my mom used to make it." Jeff added before he froze. He didn't know why he brought his mother up all of a sudden.

Trish was also still. She knew that his mother was a very touchy and heavy topic of conversation and he rarely spoke about her in any of their conversations, besides that brief mention upon their arrival at the cabin. Trish started to panic slightly. What was she meant to do now?

"From conversations with Matt, I heard that she was amazing in the kitchen." Trish comment, not really knowing what to say.

"Yeah she was." Jeff smiled. "She would make you anything you wanted to eat. Even if she didn't have the ingredients, she would drive down or get my father to pick up the ingredients she needed. I tell ya, there's nothing better than a home cooked meal."

By the smile on his face, Trish knew that he was reminiscing on happier times and fond memories. She wanted to delve further because she knew that his mother was a big part of him but she also knew that he hated to talk about it and she didn't want to push too deep.

"Do you miss her?" Trish wanted to kick herself after those words came out of her mouth. Obviously he did. What kind of question was that?

"Everyday." Jeff replied softly as he looked down at his mug. Sadness, sorrow and pain written all over his face.

"She would be very proud of you Jeff." Trish said in attempts to try and comfort him.

Jeff scoffed a little, as he continued to stare at his mug. "I don't think she would be very proud of some of the things that I've done." Jeff added, not even bringing his eyes up to look at Trish.

Trish was now curious. What could he have possibly done that would be so bad for his mother not to be proud of? Perhaps he murdered someone? She felt a cold chill run down her body. How could she possibly find out without directly asking him what he did. She knew when she first met him that he was a tortured soul like she was, but why? Why was he carrying so much pain around with him? Sure, the death of a parent is enough to destroy anyone, but there had to be more to it.

"Jeff, unless you murdered someone, I highly doubt that you've done anything that wouldn't make your mother proud of you."

"Trish, you don't understand. I've gone through some really dark days after my mother's passing…"

Another cold shiver ran down Trish's back. Perhaps she hit the nail on the head with the murder theory.

"…I mean, I haven't killed or murdered anyone, but I've done some really fucked up shit."

Trish let out a breath she didn't noticed she was holding in. "Thank goodness for that" she thought to herself. She put her mug down, leaned across the bench and placed her hands on top of Jeff's which were clasped around his mug. Her touch, finally bringing his attention to her.

"Jeff. We all do stupid things when we are in dark places. Trust me. I don't know what it is that you did, but I know that you are not the same person that you were when you did whatever it was you did. We all make mistakes and we all learn from them. Sometimes life's greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times from the worst mistakes and sometimes, mistakes have the power to turn you into something or someone better than the person you were before." Trish noticed Jeff divert his gaze away from her, knowing full well he didn't want agree with what she was saying.

"Hey, look at me." Trish kindly ordered as Jeff returned his attention to her. "Don't ever doubt yourself as a person because of things that you have done in the past. Your past doesn't define you; it prepares you. The person that you are today, the person that overcame whatever you did, the person that I have gotten to know, that's what you need to focus on, because I really like him. I think he is amazing. Blue hair, tattoos and all." Trish smiled.

Though his pain and sorrow were rooted far too deep within him, for the first time in a long time, there was a spark that shone a little light over that darkness he felt…and it was all because of her. Usually it was the other way around with Jeff giving her sound advice but when he heard her say that she really liked him, it instilled something in him that he hadn't felt for a long time. He still had a little seed of doubt in his head, that maybe she might change her mind if she ever knew the things he did in his past, but he wasn't going to dwell on that now.

"Thanks Trish…and if it's any consolation…I like you too." He smiled.

The two stared at one another, somewhat lost in each other's eyes. Silence fell upon them as they felt that same unexplainable, gravitational pull towards each other once again.

"We…should probably get some rest." Jeff finally said, not wanting to disrupt what was going on between them, but knowing full well that if he didn't he would probably do something that he probably shouldn't at this time.

"Yeah…you're probably right." Trish agreed, pulling away as they both finished off their now warm chocolate and placed their mugs in the sink before heading back upstairs.

"I guess, I'll see you in the morning." Jeff said softly as he stood leaning against his bedroom doorframe. "Thank you for the hot chocolate and chat."

"Anytime" Trish smiled.

"Goodnight Trish." Jeff whispered.

"Night Jeff." Trish replied before turning to walk into her room.

"You know…" Jeff added stopping Trish in her tracks. "If you're not completely tired, you could come and chill with me in my room if you like. We could…you know…uhh…chat some more…maybe…possibly…if you want…to…" Jeff proposed nervously. "It's a little too quiet not having Adam in the room." He added, biting down on his bottom lip and rubbing the back of his neck, trying to mask his nerves. "I could actually use the company tonight."

Trish couldn't help but smile. There was no doubt, her cheeks had turned a little rosy but she didn't care. She enjoyed talking to Jeff, she could talk to him all night. "I'd actually...really like that." She answered, trying to contain her smile from growing any bigger. Jeff also tried to contain his smile as he gestured her to enter his room first before he following after her, closing the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Sorry for the delayed update. It's been a little tricky trying to write whilst working full-time. I have been adding to this chapter bit by bit every chance I got to try and get it done which I finally did. Anyway, it is a long one so grab some popcorn and get comfy. As always thank you all for you reviews of each chapter. I really appreciate it and love that you enjoy following along with this story. Anyway, please enjoy Chapter 9 and as always, happy reading! :)_

**Chapter Nine**

The next morning, Adam and Amy were the first to wake as the two met each other in the kitchen, desperately needing a caffeine fix to help wake themselves up.

"You slept in the lounge all night?" Amy asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"Yeah, I must have. I don't even remember falling asleep." Adam yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"The last thing I remember was us discussing what happened between Jay, Candice, Trish and Jeff and then the next thing, Matt was carrying me up the stairs and straight to bed."

"Oh yeah…that little confrontation last night was something huh? A little brutal if you ask me. I feel really bad for Jay." Adam said as he poured out the freshly brewed coffee, handing one cup to Amy.

"Pfft I don't." Amy scoffed, taking a sip of her coffee. "He got exactly what he deserved."

"Amy, come on. Have a little sympathy for the kid. He pretty much got his balls chopped off last night."

"He's lucky. If I was Trish I would have literally chopped his balls off."

"There is no reasoning with you." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Adam. Seriously! Your brother is a massive jerk! I will never feel sorry for him after everything that he has done to Trish." Amy argued, waving her free hand around in frustration.

"Look, I know that my brother is no angel…" Adam began.

"Ha! She laughed out loud sarcastically interrupting Adam. "Far from it."

"Let me finish." Adam growled. "Jay is not an angel, he fucked up big time with Trish. He continues to fuck up yes, but he is my brother and still part of this group and even you have to admit that you enjoyed having him in this group at one point."

"Yeah, when I thought that he was the one for Trish, but he clearly showed and continues to show, that he is not the one for her and never was. And! May I remind you that once upon a time before Trish and Jason became "Trishon", Trish was your best friend! Since the day we arrived here, I haven't seen you stick up for her once or even pulled her aside and asked how she is or have any one on one time with her like you used to." Amy stated, matter-of-factly.

Adam opened his mouth to rebut but had nothing. Amy had a point. Trish and him used to be so close and since the breakup, though he knew that Trish was better off without his brother, he hadn't made any attempts since arriving to see how she was doing or even just spend time with her one on one like the good old days.

"You know what…you're right. You're absolutely right. I really need to pull her aside and just have a talk with her and see how she is. I have missed her these last two months, I really have. Though, I have to point out. It's kinda hard to get her alone, have you noticed that she is always hanging around Jeff?

"Please, tell me you haven't just realized that. They've practically been inseparable since we arrived here." Amy chuckled. "It's good for her though. I think she needs someone like Jeff. They both can understand each other on a whole other level compared to us. They're both emotionally scarred. Like I've said before tortured soul meets tortured artist, it's like a love story waiting to be written." Amy stated.

Adam quirked his brow. "Seriously? You have some imagination Ames."

"Hey, remember moments ago when you said 'you're absolutely right'. Remember that?" Amy questioned.

"Yeah, what' your point?"

"My point is…I'm always right. Just wait and see." Amy said smugly before putting her cup in the sink. "Seriously? I thought I washed every dish last night." She frowned.

"You mean Stacy did." Adam corrected before following Amy and putting his cup in the sink,

"Hey I helped." Amy disputed.

Adam couldn't help but chuckle. "Well someone must have had a midnight drink."

"More like someones." Amy responded quirking her eyebrow.

Adam walked over to the fridge and opened the door to look inside. "Hey, looks like we might need to take a trip to grab some more food." Adam mentioned. "Do you want to come along?"

"Yeah sure." Amy answered. "I'll just go get changed and let Matt know. Give me 10 minutes."

Adam nodded as he watched Amy disappear out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Hey…I made her coffee…and she left me to wash up." Adam grumbled out loud.

**•••••**

After having his morning coffee, Matt decided that while Amy was out with Adam getting some much needed groceries, he would spend his day with his brother. Going to different schools in different states meant that Matt and Jeff hardly got to spend any time together. The holidays were the only chance that they were able to catch up and spend some much needed quality time and Matt really missed not having his brother around every day. They always had the strongest of bonds ever since they were little and when their mother passed away, they depended on each other more than anything.

Matt made his way up the stairs and towards Jeff's door. Too excited to knock, Matt opened up and bounced straight in.

"Jeffro! Get up! We're gonna have a Hardy Boyz day today!" Matt chirped. He could only see his brother's bare back and blue hair as he contemplated yanking his hair to try and get him up faster, but he decided against. He knew Jeff wasn't really a morning person.

"Jeffro! Come on man. Let's have some fun today." Matt insisted.

Jeff started to stir as he turned to look over his shoulder at his brother who had way too much energy for the morning.

"Matt, can we do this later please…when I'm more awake." Jeff murmured, turning back over to his side.

"Jeff, it's a beautiful day out there and I'm up for some fun like the good old days. Let's go find some dirt bikes or something man, come on." Matt pleaded. "Either you get up or I make you get up."

"Okay…okay. Keep it down will you." Jeff grumbled as he slowly got out of bed, making sure not to make any big, sudden movements.

"Keep it down? What's the matter with you, are you hungover or something?" Matt questioned, raising his voice a little louder.

"Shhhh" Jeff hushed, trying to push Matt out the door.

A confused Matt was wondering why his brother was acting so strangely until he realized exactly why. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"What the heck is Trish doing in your bed?" Matt mouthed waving his arms hysterically around.

"It's not what you think." Jeff mouthed back.

"Like hell it is" Matt whispered, breaking the silence and charades. He took another look at Trish who was sleeping soundly, wrapped up tight in the blankets. "Outside now!" Matt mimed, trying his best to keep calm.

Jeff rolled his eyes as he followed his brother out of his room, closing the door gently behind him.

Matt stood arms folded across his chest as he frowned at his younger brother awaiting an explanation. Jeff simply stood, hands in the pockets of his sweatpants as he stared back at Matt, unphased by Matt's father-like demeanour.

"Jeff…please explain what the hell Trish is doing in your bed." Matt angrily demanded.

"Matt, like I said, it's not what you think." Jeff replied.

"Then what is it Jeff huh? Did she just happen to fall out of the sky and land straight into your bed? Or perhaps she sleep walks and climbed into your bed of all places huh? Or was it that you just happened to wake up and abracadabra she was magically there? Tell me Jeff, which one is it, because when a person walks into their younger brother's room and finds a girl in their bed the first thing that comes to mind is sex!" Matt snapped, waving his arms around frantically.

"Shhh!" Jeff quickly hushed. "I didn't have sex with her! Okay! I couldn't sleep and neither could she, so we ended up having some hot chocolate and got chatting. When we finished I simply invited her over into my room to chat some more. We must have ended up falling asleep." Jeff tried to explain.

"You expect me to believe that all you did was just talk all night? Pfft, please Jeff. That's the oldest excuse in the book. I found you two in the same bed, there are two beds in that room! If there was no hanky panky going on, then how did the two of you end up in the same bed?" Matt continued to press.

"I don't know Matt, it was just easier to talk that way." Jeff replied getting a little irritated that he had to explain himself. "But I'm telling you the truth, all we did was talk…that was it. I wouldn't do that to Trish. I'm not like that and you know it."

Matt took a moment to let his brother's words sink in. Thinking about it now, Jeff has always been so respectful towards women, he has been that way his whole life, surely there was no way that Jeff would do something like that, especially given Trish's circumstances.

"Soooo…all you did was talk? That was it?" Matt asked, his tone a little calmer.

"Yes, that's it. It was completely innocent" Jeff confirmed.

"Okay…well then can I just ask you something?"

"I guess so…" Jeff replied.

"What is the deal between you and Trish?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…it's pretty obvious to me and to everyone else that there's something going on between the two of you." Matt smiled.

Jeff's attention turned towards his feet as he rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure how to respond to that statement. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Matt chuckled to himself before he placed his hands on Jeff's shoulders. "Jeff, it's okay if you like her…honestly. I'm actually happy to see you happy when you're around her. I haven't seen you this happy since mom." Matt ruffled his brother's blue hair around a bit before continuing on. "I just want to let you know to just be careful and tread lightly. As you probably know by now, Trish has been through a lot in terms of relationships, we worry about her and her getting into another relationship after everything that she went through with Jason…"

"Matt, listen…I'm just taking my time to get to know Trish that's it. I think she is a really amazing person and I've enjoyed her company and getting to know her. I don't really know what I'm feeling towards her yet but I know that I would like to continue to explore what we have. I can't tell you if something will develop from it or not but I'm open to whatever happens." Jeff replied, a little surprised by his admission.

"Jeff…I hate to tell you this…but I think your past just getting to know her. I think you're actually growing quite fond of her. In fact, I think you're beginning to really…really like her." Matt winked.

"Like who?" Came a familiar voice, which caused Matt and Jeff to turn their heads quickly.

"Jay! Uh…hey!" Matt nervously greeted. Jeff was not in the mood to acknowledge Jason after his behaviour towards Trish last night and it seemed like it was the same case for Jason.

"Who were you talking about?" Jason asked curiously.

"Umm…we…uhh…we were…uhh…we were just…" Matt babbled, not knowing what to say as he looked to Jeff to help him out.

"It's actually none of your business Jay." Jeff growled, folding his arms across his chest, refusing to look Jason's way.

"No need to be rude." Jason replied. "And I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Matt. So...Matt…who were you talking about."

"Umm…we were just…" Matt began but before he could finish, the door to Jeff's bedroom suddenly swung open and out walked a freshly woken Trish.

Trish froze, surprised to see Matt, Jeff and Jason all standing in front of the door. This was not how she pictured waking up this morning. "Uh…hey" she awkwardly greeted.

"Good morning Trish." Matt addressed, trying to contain his smile. "Sleep well?"

Trish's eyes darted to Jeff's who gave her a small smile before her attention landed on a pair of blue eyes that were glaring straight at her. She knew that her walking out of Jeff's bedroom didn't look great but regardless, she was still so mad at Jason after his behaviour yesterday, he had no right to look at her the way he was right now.

"Yes I did thank you." Trish finally answered. "Slept like a baby actually." She smiled, her cheeks starting to blush, before she slowly pushed passed the three men, making her way towards her room. As she turned to close her bedroom door she glanced back at Jeff. "Thanks for last night Jeff." She smiled before shutting the door.

Jason's eyes had followed Trish to her room before they quickly met Jeff's emerald pair. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Jason spat before storming off back towards his room and loudly slamming his door shut.

Matt and Jeff glanced at each other before another bedroom door opened and an angry Randy emerged.

"Can you people keep it down! Some people are trying to sleep here!" He yelled before he too slammed his door.

"Well…this is going to be a very interesting day." Matt said as he glanced back at Jeff who simply rolled his eyes.

**•••••**

Later that afternoon, the group headed back down to the lake to enjoy the warm afternoon sun. Matt and Jeff were busy working on tying a long rope to one of the branches of the giant tree that branched out over the lake. Of course as brothers do, the two couldn't agree upon the best way to tie the rope securely and their bickering could be heard by the rest of the group members.

"I swear, if they didn't constantly argue with each other like that, you would have no idea they were brothers." Randy chuckled as he brought his sunglasses over his eyes and laid back.

"I couldn't agree more." Stacy added as she began to gently spread sun lotion across Randy's chest.

Trish giggled as she fiddled with her hair, bringing her golden locks back and tying it up in a messy bun as she watched Matt and Jeff's interaction. "I don't know how Amy deals with that." Trish commented.

"Speaking of Amy. Where is she? You would think that her and Adam would be back by now." Stacy questioned.

"Yeah I thought so too." Trish wondered. "I think Matt spoke to her earlier and said that her and Adam got lost or something, but they should be back soon."

"Well they better be, because I'm getting real hungry and they don't want to see how I get when I don't feed this body. I'm just saying it ain't pretty." Randy commented causing the two girls to giggle to themselves.

"Alright! We're set!" Matt calls out. "Who wants first dibs on the rope?"

"I ain't going first, but if one of you survive then I'll follow" Randy instructed as he stood up and made his way over to Matt and Jeff, tugging and examining the rope.

"Hey Jay. Get over here. Wanna give it a test go?" Matt called out, catching Jason's attention.

"Seriously?" Jeff frowned.

"Sorry Jeff, but I feel bad for the kid. He's got Candice glued to his hip, he needs to catch a break. We all know we need a break from the women every now and then. Matt grinned, throwing a wink Randy's way.

"I seriously don't understand how you have a woman." Jeff replied rolling his eyes as he saw Jason making his way over to them.

Randy couldn't help but giggle at Jeff's expression. "Ah Jeffro, bet you're kind of hoping that rope snaps huh?"

"I don't like the guy but I ain't that mean." Jeff answered. "But if the rope happens to come undone whilst his on it, well…" Jeff added shrugging his shoulders causing Randy to break out into laughter.

"Now be nice." Matt instructed.

One by one the boys took it in turns to swing from the rope and into the lake. It was a great way to break the tension that was in the air and it caused a lot of laughter amongst the group. Trish and Stacy were in stitches as they watched Randy swing from the rope and belly flop into the water. Jason soon followed, losing his grip of the rope and smacking his back against the water. As Matt launched himself onto the rope, Jeff quickly jumped on at the same time, catching Matt by surprise and causing him to let go before he could prepare himself and ended up going head first into the lake.

"I swear, someone is going to get hurt soon." Stacy mentioned as her and Trish continued to watch on. "It's good to see them all getting along. Well by the looks of it anyway." Stacy then took a moment to glance over her shoulder. "Can't say the same for that one over there."

Trish looked over her shoulder as her eyes fell upon Candice who was simply laying on her towel, earphones in her ears, sunglasses over her eyes and oblivious to the world around her. "Well…" Trish said bringing her attention back to Stacy. "She made her bed so now she can lie in it."

"Trish!" Jeff called out. "What do ya say? Wanna give it a go?" He asked waving the rope around.

"No…I think I'm good right here." Trish politely declined.

"Come on now, have a little fun! I promise you won't regret it." Jeff smiled.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Hardy." Trish grinned.

"I'll have you know that I'm a man of my word Stratus. Now get your butt over here." Jeff beckoned.

Trish contemplated for a moment as she watched Jeff continue to call her over. She was so worried that she would embarrass herself in some way, shape or form if she attempted that rope, but how could she say no to him? How could anyone say no to that smile and those eyes. She let out a big sigh before slowly getting up from where she lay.

"Are you seriously going to do it?" Stacy questioned.

"I don't know Stace. I'll probably regret it, but you gotta live a little once in a while." Trish smiled over her shoulder as she made her way over to Jeff.

"Well, you're going to look hot doing it!" Stacy shouted causing Trish to giggle to herself.

"You know…Stacy ain't wrong there." Jeff grinned as he took in the view of Trish standing in front of him, hands on her hips wearing nothing but a black and red bikini.

"Why Hardy…are you trying to flirt with me?" Trish replied, tilting her head to one side giving him a once over before looking at the rope in his hand. "If I humiliate myself or even die from this Hardy, I'm coming back to haunt ya so bad." Trish commented causing Jeff to chuckle.

"You are not going to die. Now come here." Jeff instructed. "Grab onto the rope. You don't want to hold the rope too low, or you'll get dragged across the bank and you don't want to hold it too high because you'll hit the water with greater impact. You want to hold it right here." Jeff added gently grabbing Trish's hands and placing them on the rope. "The rope's going to tug a little so make sure you hold on tight. Now you don't want the rope to twist and spin too much, so you'll want to angle your legs and hips like this" Jeff gently placed his hands on the bare skin of Trish's hips.

A quick tingling shiver ran through Trish's body as Jeff's hands touched the bare skin of her hips, slightly above where her bikini bottoms sat. Though she was nervous about attempting the rope, it was like her heart didn't begin to accelerate until this moment. She turned her head to find Jeff's face close to hers. The two were momentarily lost in each other's gaze as their eyes met. For a second, Trish's eyes drifted to Jeff's parted lips causing her to gently bit down on her bottom lip before she brought her gaze back to his eyes.

The sound of Jeff clearing his throat broke the silence and snapped them back to reality as Jeff quickly removed his hands from Trish's hips and took a step back. "Umm, so yeah…then you just umm…pick your legs up, let your body weight swing the rope, hold on tight and once you're over the water…just uhh…yeah, let go."

"Okay…here goes nothing." Trish uttered softly, as she mentally prepared herself. Taking one more big breath in she pulled back the rope before taking a big leap and letting the rope swing her towards the water. The adrenalin was racing through her body as she prepared herself to let go and the moment she hit the water, a sense of relief came upon her. Once she had reached the surface and she managed to wipe the water and hair that was in front of her face, she couldn't help but laugh. What a rush that was! She enjoyed that more than she thought she would and she was glad that she had survived.

"Impressive" Jason said catching Trish very much off guard. She didn't quite know how to respond to that, or whether she was supposed to respond at all.

"Watch out!" Matt yelled out causing Trish to look up as she saw Jeff above her, but before she could do anything Jeff back flipped and plummeted into the water beside her causing a wave to swept over her submerging her underwater.

Trish let out a gasp as she reached the surface once again, coughing up any water she may have swallowed as she tried to get some air back into her lungs.

"Jeffro that was so cool!" Randy applauded.

"Thanks man" Jeff replied; wet strands of blue hair stuck to his face. "Sorry Trish, didn't mean to do that to you." He apologized swimming towards Trish's direction.

Once Trish had gotten her breath back she turned her attention to Jeff. "I don't know whether to be crazy mad or crazy impressed with you right now." Trish frowned.

"I would go with the latter." Jeff chuckled.

"I'm still debating on that." Trish giggled as she swum closer to Jeff. She placed her hands on his face, brushing the strands away that covered his eyes. "That's better" she smiled. "You're lucky you're cute Hardy, because I would have been mad as hell if it was anyone else that did that to me."

Though the water was cool and refreshing, all Jeff could feel was the warmth of her touch on his face. Why was he constantly so drawn to her? Something as simple as brushing strands of hair away shouldn't have such an effect on someone like it did on Jeff. Not mention that she had just called him cute. "Why Stratus…are you trying to flirt with me?" He teased, mimicking her words from earlier. "I wonder what else my cuteness could let me get away with." Jeff continued, a cheeky smirk etched across his face, causing Trish to splash him playfully.

"Ugh! Give me a break!" Jason uttered in disgust as he witnessed his ex and her current blue obsession giggle and smile with one another, not to mention the subtle physical contact that they were engaging in. Jason swum away, making his way closer to the bank trying to get as far away from the two of them as he possibly could. "I can't stand that blue haired freak" Jason muttered loud enough for Matt and Randy to hear, who were nearby.

"Who? Jeff?" Randy questioned.

"Nah, the blue haired freak that lives on the dock, of course Jeff you idiot!" Jason spat.

"Alright, sorry. No need to bite my head off." Randy replied holding his hands up in surrender. "Jeffro's harmless. He's just having fun."

"A little too much fun if you ask me." Jason growled as he glared at the pair in the water.

"You just got to get to know Jeff, Jay." Matt added, not really knowing how to go about this current situation.

"Jay, it's only normal for you to get jealous seeing your ex around another guy, but that ain't Jeffro's fault. You know what they say, don't hate the player, hate the game." Randy informed.

Jason turned his attention to Randy, his eyebrows furrowed as he scowled at him. "First of all…I'm not…jealous…okay. Trish is my ex for a reason. Second of all…who does Jeff think he is anyway? He hardly knows the girl. And…"

"I think he knows more about her in the short time than you ever did in your entire relationship." Matt mumbled under his breath causing Jason to stop mid-sentence.

"Uh-oh…" Randy uttered, glancing from Jason to Matt then back to Jason.

"Excuse me?" Jason growled turning his attention to Matt.

"Relax Jay, I don't mean anything by it…" Matt stated. "I'm just saying that they just seem to be getting on really well and they're spending a lot of time together. They look happy, so why don't you just leave them alone?"

"Do you see me trying to prevent them from hanging around each other? Huh? No. You don't because I'm not trying to stop them from 'hanging out'. All I'm saying is that he barely knows the girl and if you ask me, he is wasting his time because she is clearly still hung up over me." Jason answered with a pleased smirk.

Matt couldn't help but roll his eyes. There was no point in starting an argument with Jason. Matt could hear giggling as he turned his head to look over his shoulder noticing Jeff and Trish were back at the rope again.

"Okay, so where do I put my hands again?" Trish asked as Jeff guiding her hands onto the rope. It didn't take a genius to know how to swing on a rope, but Trish wanted to feel Jeff's gentle touch on her again, so she played dumb which got her exactly what she wanted. "And…how should I position my hips again?"

"Just like this…" Jeff instructed as he placed his hands on her hips, adjusting her slightly, causing Trish to smile to herself as she savoured the electric sensation pulsing through her body from his touch.

"Now I want you to hold on tighter than before okay." Jeff advised.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to jump on with you." Jeff grinned.

"What? Why?" Trish exclaimed.

"Because it will be fun."

"But, the rope might break…or I'll fall or something." Trish replied a little panicked.

"The rope won't break and you won't fall. I promise. I wouldn't do something that would put you in danger." Jeff smiled as he placed his hands higher up on the rope.

"I…I don't know Jeff…" Trish hesitated.

Jeff let out a little chuckle. "I've got you I promise. Do you trust me?"

In that moment, Trish's body froze. Her eyes widened as her body began to feel like cement. Hearing those last four words paralysed her.

**•••••**

_"__Trish, do you trust me?"_

_"__Jay…where are you taking me?"_

_"__Can you shush and just trust me." Jason replied, slowly guiding a blindfolded Trish up some stairs._

_"__I trust you." Trish smiled, her heart pounding, not knowing where Jason was taking her. "Just don't go giving me a reason not to trust you. I'm blindfolded here." She joked._

_"__Hey give me some credit here. I ain't going to blindside you. Trust me." Jason replied before stopping and slowly removing Trish's blindfold off._

_Taking the time to adjust her eyes, Trish took a moment to take in her surroundings. "Jay? What the hell are we doing in the stairwell?" Trish asked confused. _

_"__I told you before we left. It's a surprise." _

_"__Uh…huh…" Trish answered with hesitation as she continued to take in her surroundings. The only things she could see was Jason, a locked door to the rooftop of their apartment building and the many stairs, that spiralled all the way down to the very bottom of the building. "Are…you going to kill me?" Trish tried to laugh off, though not convincingly. _

_Jason couldn't help but laugh. "I told you to trust me didn't I?" He let out another laugh before he slowly opened the door to the rooftop. "Ladies first" he added._

_Trish reluctantly walked through the door stepping out onto the rooftop. Her jaw suddenly dropped as her eyes widened. The rooftop was lit up with fairy lights and a small table with a candle lit dinner set up in the middle as the city skyline formed their backdrop. _

_"__Jay…wha…what is this?" Trish asked, still trying to collect herself, unsure of what was going on. _

_Approaching Trish from behind, he placed his hands on her shoulders as he took in her facial expression, chuckling to himself. "This…my sweet…this is your surprise. A romantic dinner for two to celebrate four months of being together." He turned her around and placed his hands gently on either side of her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, his piercing blue eyes capturing the full attention of her hazel pair. "I know it's only been four months but I love you Trish. You have changed my life for the better since becoming my girlfriend. I cannot imagine my life now without you in it." He lent in and captured her lips in his._

_Trish was elated. She couldn't believe all this was happening at the moment. She didn't know what she did to deserve all this. In this moment, she was so thankful that Adam introduced her to Jay, because she couldn't imagine her life without him now. Amy warned her not to rush into anything with Jason, but they had been friends for a while before they decided to become an official couple and she couldn't believe how quickly she fell for him. His charisma, his charm, the way he made her laugh constantly, just everything about him was perfect._

_"__I love you too Jay." She beamed. "How…did you pull all this off without me knowing? Did Amy or Stacy help you out?"_

_"__I wish, but they were too busy with Randy and Matt. Adam said he was busy studying for some test to help his brother out, but luckily for me I bumped into Candice before class last week and she was kind enough to help me out with all this."_

_"__Candice?" Trish responded confused. "She hates me, why would she want to help set up something like this for me?" _

_Jason awkwardly cleared his throat. "She…doesn't hate you. Anyway, you like it don't you? So she did a good job."_

_Trying to not dwell on Candice, Trish pulled Jason into an embrace. "Thank you for doing this for me."_

_"__Of course. Anything to make you happy." He replied, smiling as he stared into his woman's eyes._

_Trish arched her eyebrow in curiosity which didn't go unnoticed by Jason._

_"__Everything okay?" He asked._

_"__Yeah…you just have some lipstick on your neck." Trish pointed out. _

_A cold shiver ran down Jason's spine. "Uhh…yeah…must have been from this morning. I must have forgotten to wipe it off." Jason mumbled with a little hesitation. "Probably a good thing, let's everyone know that my girlfriend just can't get enough of me." He added, a pleased expression on his face. _

_Trish studied the lipstick imprint on his neck. She tried to recall what happened in the morning. She remembered kissing him goodbye before she left early for school, but she couldn't remember kissing his neck at any point. _

_"__Come on Trish, it's a good thing." Jason tried to convince. _

_"__Yeah…it just doesn't look like any lipstick shade I would wear."_

_"__You have that many lipsticks, I highly doubt you can remember them all." _

_"__I guess you right." Trish responded, though she wasn't quite convinced. _

_"__Let's just enjoy this moment, right here, right now, underneath the stars. Just you and me." Jason suggested and he gently placed his hands on either side of her face, bringing his lips to hers as they kissed passionately underneath the stars._

_"__I love you Jason. I honestly love you wholeheartedly." Trish smiled as she pulled away from their kiss. _

_Jason returned her smile with one of his own. "Look." He pointed up towards the night sky. "A shooting star. Make a wish."_

_Trish looked up as she watched the shooting star soar quickly through the night sky. She then turned her attention back towards Jason. "I have everything I ever wanted right here, with you. What more do I have to wish for?" She answered as she leaned up and captured his lips once more. _

**•••••**

Those four words from Jeff triggered that memory which struck right through to her core. Her recollection of that night made her feel numb and every ounce of pain and torture that her and Jason's breakup put her through came flooding back. How she wished she had trusted her suspicions and instincts that night, it would have saved her from all the heartbreak that she had gone through and just when she thought that she was starting to move on with her life and start to feel some ounce of happiness once again, without doing anything, Jason was able to extinguish any hope of that happening.

"Trish? Is everything okay?" Jeff asked concerned, noticing Trish's frozen and blank expression. The look on her face look as if she had seen a ghost.

"Everything okay?" Matt questioned as he, Randy and Jason climbed out of the water and onto the bank. Jeff simply shrugged unsure what to do. Trish was not responding. The rest of the boys gathered around Trish trying to get her to break out of her trance, snapping their fingers, tapping her shoulders, calling her name, but nothing seemed to be working. She was stunned, still and frozen like a statue, even Jason was surprised to see Trish this unresponsive. Stacy soon approached the group and she too became concerned.

"What do we do? Why is she like this? What happened?" Stacy babbled, starting to panic.

"I..I don't know, one minute she was ready to take the rope again and then the next thing I know she went silent and still." Jeff answered, his worry and concern starting to grow.

Just then, Trish turned her head and her eyes fell upon Jason. Tears starting to escape from her eyes. At first it was one or two drops that fell and rolled down her cheek, but it was then followed by a steady flow of tears.

"Are you happy Jason?" Trish finally said letting go of the rope, her voice soft and broken.

Jason glanced at everyone who were all looking back at him, he was so confused as was everyone else.

"Trish…I don't quite understand…"

"You've ruined me Jason." Trish added, cutting Jason off. "You've ruined everything for me. You made me believe that I was truly loved by you and it was all lies."

Jeff gently placed his hands on either side of Trish's arms. From his own personal experience, he could tell that she was currently experiencing an emotional cyclone. Something had triggered something deep within her and it had opened up a pandora's box of emotions that Trish had tried to bury. Jeff knew that it was going to take a massive toll on her and by placing his hands on her arms, he knew that he would be there to catch her if she falls.

Although her voice was croaky and broken and her tears were now uncontrollable, she was trying her best to remain as strong as she possible could. "You poisoned my mind Jay, with the thought that I was loved and the worst part is that I believe it! You told me to trust you and I did, with every fibre in my body I trusted you and now…because of you I will never be able to trust anyone again, which means I will never be able to love anyone again and you know what that means Jay…it means because of you I will never ever be happy!" She was trembling, it was like her legs wanted to give out on her and just let her fall to the ground, but thankfully Jeff was there holding her. She didn't want to embarrass herself any further, she needed to get away. Though it was hard for her to admit to herself, she had been so strong up until now, but she had nothing left. She needed her last ounce of strength that she possibly had left to get herself out of there. Before anyone could do anything, Trish broke out of Jeff's hold and ran, leaving everyone in complete shock.

"Trish wait!" Jason called out, as he ran after her.

"Like hell he is…" Jeff spat out as he went to follow them before Matt stood in front of him, prevent him from leaving.

"Jeff…just leave it." Matt instructed.

"Matt move! Like hell I'm going to leave Trish alone with that jackass, let alone let him touch her!" Jeff exploded.

"Jeff, it's not your place. This is something that they need to sort out themselves. It's been a long time coming and they need to work it out, for both their sakes."

"Matt's right." Randy added as he too tried to restrain Stacy from chasing after Trish and Jason. "There's no use in us getting involved."

Jeff continued to watch Jason chase after Trish until he could no longer see them. He ran his fingers through his hair, gripping his hair in complete frustration.

"Fuck!" Jeff shouted.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **_Hey guys! Sorry for being M.I.A...again. There's no excuse. I just had trouble finding time to finish this chapter, but I got there in the end and the good news is, I have started on the next one! So hope you enjoy the latest update and a big thank you to all those who are still keeping up and reading this story. I appreciate your time and your patience with me and your continued love for this story in the reviews. It is greatly...no...immensely appreciated! Thank you all! Hope you enjoy Chapter 10 and let me know what you guys think. As always, happy reading! :) _

**Chapter Ten**

Her mind was clouded, her heart was pumping and her tears were cascading down her cheeks as she ran towards the cabin. Why? Why did she agree to come on this trip when she knew all too well that she wouldn't be able to handle it? Why didn't she listen to her own gut feeling instead of allowing Amy to persuade her to come along? She was happy in her little home, her comfort zone where she didn't have to deal with seeing Jason every single day.

"Trish! Please wait!" Jason shouted behind her. Trish looked over her shoulder and was very surprised to see that it was Jason who had chased after her. As much as she didn't want to, she had to stop and catch her breath. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees to steady herself as she panted, trying to get air back into her body.

"Trish…" Jason exhaled as he slowly approached her, taking a moment to catch his breath also.

"What do you want Jason? Haven't you done enough to me? Please, just leave me alone." She tried to wipe away her tears as she continued to inhale and exhale. She didn't want to give him anymore satisfaction in seeing her cry over him.

"Trish, we need to talk about this." Jason stated.

"Now you want to talk! Talk about what Jason?" Trish straightened up, her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at the man that broke her heart. "There's nothing left to talk about. You cheated, you lied and you've ruined my life. What more do you want?"

"Trish, I'm sorry. Okay. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did."

"I know and I hate myself for it. I've been hating myself for the last two months knowing that I hurt you."

"The last two months? Jason you should have started hating yourself the moment you felt something for another girl! The moment you decided to lie. The moment you hooked up with Candice! You should have been hating yourself much earlier that the last two months!" Trish argued.

"I didn't know what I wanted then okay! I got caught up with my emotions. We had been going solid for almost four months and I forgot what it was like to have someone find you attractive and flirt with you. I know it sounds stupid but I don't know…I guess I missed the chase. It was fine and exciting chasing you Trish, especially when you didn't agree to date me at first. When you rejected to date me twice, it made me want you more and then when we started dating, it was so exciting…almost euphoric, it brought out all these feelings I never felt with any other girl I had been with prior to you." Jason explained.

"So what, when the chasing was over and you finally got the girl and the novelty of a new relationship wore off you got bored? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"No. That's not it at all. I was never bored with you. I just…I don't know. I guess when Candice started to show interest in me and flirt with me it ignited something in me because I knew I couldn't go there. It became this forbidden attraction and that got me interested. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I kept getting drawn back to this idea of a forbidden love affair…"

Trish scoffed in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I can't believe you. But I don't know why I'm surprised. It's the same old story, wanting something you can't have. Why didn't you just end things then Jason? Why did you have to keep pretending to be the devoted boyfriend?"

"Because I didn't want to lose you. You might not believe me, but even through all that I still loved you…I still do." Jason replied, his voice trailing off towards the end of his sentence.

"Jason, you can't have your cake and eat….wait…what did you just say?" Trish exclaimed, caught a little off guard. She was hoping that she didn't just hear what she just heard.

Jason took a few steps forward, closing the distance between Trish and himself. He then gently placed his hands on the bare skin of her hips as he stared down into her bewildered hazel eyes.

"I still love you Trish." Jason repeated, his voice soft and calm. "I know you won't believe me but, I never stopped loving you. You were the greatest thing to ever happen to me…honestly you were. I know I hurt you and I am so sorry, but don't think that there has ever been a day where I stopped loving you because there isn't one."

Trish could not believe what she was hearing. This was the last thing that she had expected to come out of Jason's mouth. She was lost for words, she didn't know how to respond. She stood there staring, like a deer caught in the headlights.

Jason gently cupped her face in his hands and brought her closer towards him. His piercing blue eyes penetrating straight through to her soul. "Trish, the biggest mistake I ever made in my life was hurting you. You're right, the moment I looked in another's woman's direction was the moment I hurt you. I am so so sorry baby. You have no idea how sorry I am." His voice starting to become a little croaky and it appeared as if tears were starting to form in his eyes. "I know that I'm with Candice right now but truth be told, I was filling the void of losing you. She is a lovely girl, but she is nothing compared to you Trish and, it took me losing you to realize how much you impacted my life and how much you brought into my life. You made me laugh, you made me smile, you made me live each moment to its fullest and I miss that. I miss all of that. I miss you. I love you. I loved you then, I still love you now and I probably will love you for the rest of my life. I know it is a big ask but please Trish…please give me a second chance. I know I can do better this time round." Jason begged, his eyes pleading her to give him another shot.

Trish was still in complete shock. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, that Jason would come to his senses and realize that he had made the biggest mistake of his life. This time however, she wasn't dreaming. She felt Jason's thumbs lightly caress her cheek, wiping away the wet trails left behind from her tears. She had forgotten what his touch felt like and what it did to her. Jason then gently brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, before bringing her lips to his, planting a soft and sweet kiss upon them.

Trish's shock doubled in the moment. What the hell was going on? It was like her mind couldn't keep up with the current situation and when it finally did catch up, Trish quickly snapped back to reality. She mustered up any bit of strength she had left and pushed Jason aggressively off of her.

"No! You can't just do that Jason!" Trish yelled, a little frustrated with herself that she could allow such a thing to happen. Her emotions were all over the place. It was like a Category 5 hurricane was happen within her mind and body. Her tears began to flow once again as she remembered how Jason's kisses use to make her feel. But did he really expect that his words and a kiss would erase everything that he had put her through?

"You can't just kiss me like that and expect everything to be okay! That's not how it works!" Trish bawled, waving her hands about in frustration. She couldn't determine if she was feeling mad, sad, hurt, frustrated, it was most likely all of the above, some weird concoction of an emotional cocktail. "You hurt me Jason!" She added. "You can't just expect it all to go away and be forgotten about by kissing me!"

"But Trish…I love…"

"No Jason don't!" Trish warned. "Don't you dare finish that sentence! You can't say you love me after sleeping with another woman! That's not how love works. You can't go around saying that you made a mistake because mistakes happen by accident, what you did was an intentional choice! You chose to cheat on me and you chose to lie! And you know what hurts the most is that if you didn't get caught, I would have never known! You made me feel stupid Jay! You made me doubt myself and the person that I am. For the past two months while I was crying over you, you were hooking up with Candice, and you say you never stopped loving me? That's fucked up Jason! You don't cheat on someone that you claim to love, it just clearly means that you never truly loved me in the first place."

"That's not true! How can you say that? I loved you. I still love you whether you want to believe it or not." Jason interjected. He didn't know what to do. He could see the pain all over Trish's face and he couldn't do anything but just stand there and try to explain and defend himself. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to cradle her like he used to, but he couldn't. There was no way she was going to allow that.

"No Jay…because if you still love me like you say you do, you wouldn't be treating me like the way you have been these last few days. You hurt me, yet up until last night I had been nothing but civil with you and Candice. You, on the other hand, have been treating me like absolute dirt, like I never meant a thing to you. You're the one that stabbed me in the back, but you're acting like you're the one who's bleeding. You don't do that to someone you love Jay."

"Trish…I'm…I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I don't know what else I can say but I'm sorry. I fucked up. I'm a complete asshole. Whatever you want to call me just say it because I deserve it. What more can I do to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything that I put you through?"

Trish wiped away her tears and she took in some deep breaths to steady her heart. She was exhausted. This whole thing had taken its toll on her and she had nothing left to continue this fight.

"I'm done Jay. I've got nothing left to say. I have absolutely nothing left in me. You took everything away from me two months ago and now you've just taken every little bit of me that I had left." She turned to look at Jason, her face exhausted, her voice weary, her body weak. "I'm done. I'm done with you, I'm done with us and I'm done hurting. I'm not even going to try and be mad anymore. I just have to learn to expect the lowest from the person I thought the highest of." A single tear escape from her eye before she turned her back on Jason and walked off towards the cabin, leaving a heartbroken Jason behind.

**•••••**

When Jason got back to the cabin, he was greeted by Amy and Adam who had just arrived back from their trip to get groceries and were unpacking the bags in the kitchen.

"Hey Jay! Where have you been? Where is everyone?" An energetic Adam asked, but his high level of energy soon diminished when he noticed the wounded expression on his brother's face. Adam and Amy both exchanged a worried glance before Adam stopped what he was doing and walked over to his brother. "Jay, hey…what's happened?"

"I fucked up bro. I am such a major fuck up." Jason answered as he buried his face on his brother's shoulder and began to sob.

"Whoa Jay. Talk to me what happened?" Adam hadn't seen his brother like this since the day Trish broke things off with him. He began to really worry.

"I…Trish…" was all Jason could get out.

Amy's ears pricked the moment she heard Trish's name. "What the hell did you do this time Jason!" Amy barked dropping what she was doing.

Adam put a finger to his lips to silence her and pointed in the direction of the stairs, indicating to Amy to go and check Trish's room and see if she was in there and if she was okay. Amy wanted to snap back but the look of warning on Adam's face stopped her from doing so, though she really wanted to rip Jason's head off.

After Amy had disappeared up the stairs, Adam turned back to his brother who looked defeated. "Okay, talk to me. What happened?"

"I spoke to Trish." Jason began as he watched a surprised expression form across his older brother's face. "And I hurt her really bad man…like I know I fucked up but I didn't realize how bad she was hurting because of it. How could I have been so stupid."

"Look…obviously I don't condone what you did to her, but you can't change that now. The only thing you can do is try and work towards healing and moving past all that." Adam advised.

"I told her that I still loved her." Jason confessed.

"You what!" Adam exclaimed. Like Trish, he wasn't expecting to hear those words. "But…but you're with Candice…"

"Yeah I know and to be honest I feel like I only got together with Candice to fill the void that Trish left after breaking up with me."

Adam ran his hand through his golden locks as he tried to process all this information. "Dude…you really made quite a mess of this haven't you?"

Jason simply shrugged. Deep down he knew that he never stopped loving Trish. Even though he tried to act bitter and mean about the whole thing towards her, he still loved her and hated the fact that she broke things off with him. Yes, he screwed up but he didn't realize the impact Trish had on him until she longer wanted anything to do with him.

"What did Trish say when you told her you still loved her?" Adam questioned.

"She didn't believe me. Pretty much told me that because I cheated on her then I never really loved her at all." Jason replied.

"You are unbelievable!" Amy growled, catching the two men by surprise. She had overheard bits of their conversation and couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Amy, please – " Adam began trying to prevent Amy from intervening and kicking his brother when he was already down, but it was no use.

"How could you go and say shit like that to Trish?!" Amy spat. "Haven't you caused enough damage to her! For the last two months she had been pining over you, you messed with her feelings and her emotions and now you drop the 'I still love you' bombshell on her! I swear I need to buy that poor girl a fucking condom to put on her head because you Jason, are mind fucking her right now!"

Jason remained silent. He knew that there was no point in arguing back with Amy during one of her tirades and Adam was on the same page. There was no reasoning with Amy, especially when she was this mad and this passionate about something. The three of them hadn't realize that the rest of the group had returned home, but Matt, being the first to walk through the door, stopped the other's from entering the kitchen the moment he heard Amy shouting. Instead the group stayed quietly hidden around the corner and listened in.

"You know what, you're smart. I'll give you that." Amy continued. "Because the moment you sensed that Trish was starting to feel happier, you swoop in and destroy any chance of that happening. Admit it Jay, you couldn't stand seeing Trish and Jeff together. You knew that the more time they spent together the more that Trish would start to feel something towards Jeff. You knew this was happening because you could see the look on Trish's face huh? It was the same face she use to give you wasn't it Jay?"

Jason hung his head, his eyes diverting to the floor knowing that Amy was right. Though he didn't want to admit it to everyone that he was jealous, it hurt him knowing that Jeff was able to get Trish to look at him the same way she use to look at Jason. Around the corner, everyone's eyes darted to Jeff, who stared back at everybody else, not knowing how to react.

"I just don't understand you Jay." Amy said with a little less aggression in her tone. "Why can't you just let her be happy? You had two months to try and rectify everything. You had two months to try and mend bridges but you didn't even try. In a matter of days, Jeff has come into the picture and managed to put a smile back on that poor girl's face, has been able to make her laugh, has brought her out of her comfort zone and actually make her feel like she is worthy as a person. She has been the happiest I've seen her since your relationship ended and you want to take that away by telling her that you still love her?"

Astonished looks were shared amongst the group who still remained hidden, eavesdropping into the conversation. None more so than Jeff and Candice. Candice brought her hands to her mouth to try and prevent herself from gasping out loud. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"This is brutal." Randy whispered. "Remind me never to get on Amy's bad side." He then turned his attention to Matt. "Goodluck with that in the future bro, if you ever decide to put a ring on it." He whispered to Matt who just simply rolled his eyes and brought his finger to his lips instructing the group to continue to remain silent.

Jason didn't know what to say. Everything that Amy had said was right. Jason wanted Trish to be happy, but he wanted her to be happy with him. He didn't want to see Trish happy with someone else, especially with some random like Jeff. He knew that he only had himself to blame. It was easier when he knew that Trish was crying over him each night but seeing her starting to enjoy herself with Jeff, seeing that glimmer of happiness with someone else – to him it felt like she was moving on, erasing all memory of their relationship and the love that they shared. He didn't want that. Jason knew that there was nothing he could say or do to repair everything that he had put Trish through, he knew that no matter what he would say, Amy would just take it with a grain of salt. All he could do was look at Amy, sad and defeated and for a split second, the look on his face made Amy feel a little sorry for him.

"Look Ames, I think Jason has beaten himself up enough about this whole situation. I think we should just let it go for today. Let's just wrap this up before the others return." Adam suggested.

They were soon interrupted by Matt clearing their throat as Amy, Jason and Adam all turned their heads to see the rest of the group standing in the entrance way of the kitchen.

"Ohhh dear…" Adam murmured lowly, coming to the realization that perhaps the others heard more than they should have. "How much of that did you hear?" He cautiously asked.

Matt, took a moment to look at Jason, Adam and Amy, but before he could continue he was interrupted by Candice.

"We heard enough!" She chimed in. Her tone angry and furious as she glared at Jason.

"Look this is something that is between Jason and Trish, it has nothing to do with any of us…" Adam began to explain before he too was interrupted by Candice.

"Excuse me!" Candice blurted out, her hands placed on her hips as she turned her glare to Adam. "I think everyone is forgetting that Jason has a girlfriend! Me! So it has everything to do with me as it does with Jay and Trish!"

Silence fell amongst the group, technically she had a point. Though no-one wanted to admit it, this situation now became a whole lot more complicated and it now didn't just involve Trish and Jason but it included Candice as well as Jeff.

Speaking of Jeff, he was still trying to wrap his head around everything that he had just heard and though he was still trying to process everything, his concerns and worries still remained with Trish. After being forced to let her run off with Jason, he couldn't help but wonder how she was and if she was okay, especially considering the fact that she was not present with everyone else.

"Where's Trish? Is she okay?" Jeff questioned, finally breaking the silence. Jeff tried to ignore the glare that Jason was throwing his way.

"I don't know." Amy replied. "I tried to check on her in her room just before, but she wouldn't let me in."

"I'm going to check and see if she is okay." Jeff advised, much to Jason's disliking.

"Goodluck, I don't think she will let anyone in at this point." Amy replied.

Before Jeff could make his way up the stairs, he felt a hand on his shoulder which stopped him in his tracks. Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw Adam.

"Jeff…if it's okay. Could I please be the one to check on her? I think I owe it to her to be there for her now, considering I wasn't much of a friend when she needed me the most." Adam requested. Amy threw a small smile his way, pleased that he had taken her advice she had given him this morning.

Jeff was a little hesitant at first, he knew that his mind wouldn't rest until he had spoken to Trish himself, but he couldn't stand in Adam's way. Jeff respected the fact that Adam had a strong relationship with Trish before he ever entered the scene, so he wasn't going to stop him or get in the way of Adam's concerns for his friend. A small smile etched on the corner of Jeff's mouth giving Adam the signal to go ahead.

"Thanks Jeff." Adam replied with a smile of his own.

"I really think that we should give Trish some time to herself." Stacy commented, stopping Adam from continuing up the stairs. "This is a massive breakthrough for her and it is a lot to take in. I really think that she just needs a little space at the moment." Stacy shrugged her shoulders. "Just my opinion."

"You may be right Stacy and if she doesn't open the door, that's fine, I'll respect that. But I at least want to check on her and make sure she is okay." Adam responded before he disappeared up the stairs.

An awkward silence fell amongst the group who remained downstairs. No one really knew what to say. Eyes darted around, waiting for someone to say something to break the silence. Candice however, didn't take her eyes off of Jason. Though she masked it well, she was about to unleash on Jason, she was just waiting to get him alone.

"Jay…can we have a word please." Candice finally uttered through gritted teeth, causing everyone to decide whether to look towards Jason's direction or pretend to look elsewhere as if they didn't hear anything. Pretty much, everyone looked Jason's way.

After everything that went down, Candice was the last thing Jason wanted to deal with right now, but he knew that he had put his foot in it and he had to deal with the consequences eventually. He let out a heavy sigh before proceeding to head towards the back porch, with Candice following close behind.

"I suddenly have the real urge to wash some dishes." Randy commented as his eyes followed Jason and Candice as they exited the room.

"What the hell are you on about Randy?" Matt question, completely puzzled by Randy's random comment.

"He just wants to eavesdrop on Candice and Jason by the window" Stacy replied rolling her eyes. "Let's go and shower up before dinner." She added, grabbing Randy by the hand and leading him up the stairs.

"Aww but…but…Candice is about to rip into Jason. I don't want to miss it." Randy whined, trying to pull Stacy back in the opposite direction.

"Oh grow up." Stacy mumbled, before the two disappeared up the stairs and into their room.

"Think I'm gonna head to my room too" Jeff said quietly.

"I'll call you when dinner is re…ady." Matt tried saying, but Jeff simply ignored him and proceeded up the stairs.

"What's the matter with him?" Amy questioned.

"He's upset with me because I didn't let him run after Trish when she took off." Matt explained. "After Jay took off after Trish, I told Jeff to just let them have a moment to sort shit out. I didn't expect all this to happen though. It must be killing him."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"He really likes Trish…" Matt began.

"Who Jeff?" Amy interrupted, to which Matt nodded his head. "I knew it!" she beamed.

"Yeah, so you could imagine how he must be feeling after hearing that Jay is still in love with Trish." Matt continued.

Amy ran her hand through her red locks. "Honestly Matt, I don't think Jeff should be worried. If I know Trish and I'm pretty sure I do, I don't think she would go back down that road again. Jason destroyed her, she's not going to put herself in a position where she could be hurt again."

"I hope so, Jeff's had his fair share of pain and I just don't want anything to trigger him and end up…" Matt trailed off.

"I know" Amy replied, reading Matt loud and clear. She knew Jeff's history very well and she also didn't want Jeff's history to repeat itself. "Don't worry Matt, things will work themselves out. Just let things play out on their own."

"You're right…" Matt sighed. "Anyway on another note…" he said changing the subject as he closed the distance between himself and his girlfriend, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her close to him. "Where have you been all day, I've missed you."

Amy wrapped her arms around Matt's neck and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Adam and I got so lost. One wrong turn out here and you're in no-man's-land, but we eventually made it there and back and I'm here now."

"Yes you are" Matt seductively growled, bringing Amy even closer to his body, his hands slipping from her hips and sliding into the back pockets of her jeans. He then began to plant small, slow kisses on her neck. "Shall we…take this…to…the bedroom." Matt suggested between kisses.

"How about the kitchen…" Amy whispered.

"Mmm…I like the way you think." Matt groaned.

"You can help me unpack the rest of the groceries and help me get dinner started." Amy murmured, a grin etched across her face. She was struggling to contain her laughter as she watched Matt look at her, his face dropping.

"Seriously….?" Matt said in disbelief.

"Yep. There is a lot of groceries to unpack and we have some very hungry people to feed." Amy giggled before turning on her heels and heading into the kitchen.

Matt followed slowly behind her, deflated. "Talk about your mood killer" he sighed.

**•••••**

Like most nights dinner was awkward, however this time round it was extremely awkward. Candice had decided to remain in her room after a heated discussion with Jason out on the back porch and Trish was yet to venture out of her room. That left Adam, Randy, Stacy, Amy, Matt, Jeff and Jason to have dinner without them and to make matters worse, Jeff somehow ended up sitting next to Jason. He couldn't think of anything worst and it took almost everything he had in him to not throw his plate of food in Jason's face. Needless to say, Jason felt the same way.

After dinner everyone went their separate ways. Adam and Jason decided to lounge out by the fire place, Stacy and Randy called it an early night and headed up to their room, while Matt, Amy and Jeff set up chairs around the firepit outside.

"Feels good to sit by the fire again." Matt smiled as he soaked in the warmth of the fire against his face. "Doesn't it remind you of home Jeff?"

Jeff sat silently in his chair, his mind deep in thought. His gaze focused on the fire, but it was like his mind was elsewhere.

"Jeff?" Matt repeated as he and Amy exchanged a confused glance.

"Let me try." Amy whispered before turning her attention back to Jeff. She knew exactly what would snap him out of his thought process. "So Jeff…I hear you really, really like Trish."

Sure enough, one of Jeff's brows quirked as he brought his attention to Amy. All it took was the mention of Trish's name to gain his attention.

"Sorry…what?" Jeff mumbled.

Amy threw a wink in Matt's direction.

"I said…" Matt began, clearing his throat. "Doesn't this remind you of home, sitting here by the fire."

"Yeah. Everything here reminds me of home. Makes me wonder about dad actually. Hope he's doing okay." Jeff replied, staring into the flames of the flickering fire.

Matt studied his brother for a moment. "Look Jeff, I'm sorry about stopping you from running after Trish back at the lake. I didn't expect everything that happened to happen, but I stand by what I did. Trish and Jason needed to air everything out, it's what they both needed to do and hopefully now Trish can begin to move on."

"Move on…? Do you really think that the conversation between Jason and Trish will actually help them to move on?" Jeff argued. "Because it seems to me that if anything, it's created more confusion."

"But Jeff…do you really believe that Trish would put herself through something like that again?" Amy chimed in.

"Ames, he told her he still loves her. From what I've heard, she saw a future with him, she was head over heels for him and she has spent two months crying over him. Do you really think that there's no part of her that still has some love for him?" Jeff questioned. Amy remained silent, pondering Jeff's words. Jeff leaned in, his elbows rested on his knees as he stared at Amy waiting an answer. "Well…do you?"

Amy had a choice, she could choose to lie to Jeff and tell him what he wanted to hear or she could be completely honest with him and risk upsetting him. "Look Jeff…" she began cautiously. "I could lie to you and say that she does not love him at all, but the truth is, you're probably right, she probably does still have feelings for him. But I know Trish and she has a strong head on her shoulders, she would not go back down that road." Amy finished, she could feel Jeff's heart sink a little, his face said it all. He looked dejected. She knew that there was a spark between Jeff and Trish but she hadn't realize how much into it Jeff was until now. "Jeff listen, I know it's not what you wanted to hear but hear me out when I say this, I have known Trish for a long time now and I have not seen her face light up like the way it has these last few days and that's all because of you. You can deny all you want but there is real chemistry between you and Trish and everyone can see it…even Jason."

"Amy's right." Matt chimed in, his heart felt a little heavy for his brother and a part of him now wished that he had let Jeff chase after Trish back at the lake, things might have turned out differently.

"Yeah I heard ya when you were speaking to Jason, telling him that Trish looks at me the way she use to look at Jason…" Jeff said softly.

"That's a good thing Jeff." Matt reassured.

"No it's not." Jeff replied, causing Amy and Matt to exchange a confused look. "Like I said before, I don't quite know what's going on between Trish and I, but I do know that I don't want her to look at me like she use to look at Jason, I want her to look at me differently. I don't want to be compared to Jason, I'm nothing like Jason. I want to know that I make a difference in her life, that I'm not just there temporarily to mend a broken heart. I've already had my fair share of broken hearts and Matt, you know better than anyone when I love someone, I love harder than anything." He paused to look at his older brother.

Matt simply nodded his head. It was true. When Jeff was madly in love with someone, he devoted his entire self to them. Jeff would give up a kidney for a woman he felt a strong connection with if he had to, even if had only known them for a short period of time. But though he loved easily, it also set him up easily for heartbreak and Matt was always there to pick up the pieces when his younger brother needed him the most.

"I don't know, I guess I want her to look at me like she has never looked at anyone in her life before, that's when I'll know that it's real." Jeff leaned back in his chair as he turned his focus back on the flames that flickered from the firepit. It was a rare occasion when Jeff would open up and divulge his feelings to people like this. In most cases he would express his emotions through pen and paper or through his guitar. It even surprised Jeff himself. Not because he opened up to his brother and Amy, who he considered like a sister to him, but because he wasn't quite sure himself how he felt about Trish and for him to speak about wanting something more with her took him by surprise.

The three of them remained silent for a moment, each taking a little time to take in everything that Jeff had said. Both Matt and Amy knew that there was something blossoming between Jeff and Trish but they didn't know to what extent and they didn't realize how much deeper it ran with Jeff. Amy made a mental note to herself to find out if Trish had any feelings towards Jeff and how deep they ran. She then turned her attention back to Jeff.

"Jeff…" She began, not really knowing what she was going to say next. "I know I said that she looks at you the way she use to look at Jason, but by that I mean that she looks happy again. You have to understand that we haven't seen Trish for quite some time and it's been even longer since we saw a smile on her face like the one she's been having lately. I'm not saying that you're going to be the next man in her life, I'm not saying that the two of you will have a fairytale ending either. I think it is still early days…for the both of you. I think that you didn't realize how much you felt for Trish until just now and I think that it will take a little longer for Trish to realize where her feelings stand with you too. You have to remember that Jason destroyed everything that Trish believed love was. The idea of someone truly loving her no longer exists in her mind." Amy stated.

Jeff's heart became heavy. He couldn't fathom how someone could do that to another person – he couldn't understand someone doing that to Trish. How could someone make such a beautiful, kindred spirit like Trish believe that she would never experience being loved again.

"Amy's right Jeff. Don't think that just because Jason has said to Trish that he still loves her that Trish would forget everything that the two of you have shared these last few days. We don't even know how genuine Jason's feelings are. He could have just said that to try and get into her head and try to get under her skin."

"If he is lying, that is fucked up man." Jeff growled, his brows furrowed in anger. "I swear, if he is trying to get in her head, I will – "

"Jeff." Matt said cutting him off before he said something that he probably shouldn't. "All I'm saying is just give it some time. Things will work themselves the way they're suppose too."

Jeff let out a heavy sigh. His mind was all over the place and this conversation with Matt and Amy didn't really do much to ease it. "Yeah perhaps." Jeff responded, scratching the back of his neck before standing up from his chair. "I think I might head to bed now if that's okay."

Matt and Amy knew that this was Jeff's cue that he no longer wanted to speak about the topic of Trish any further and they knew it was best just to leave things and not press any further.

"Yeah man, go for it." Matt replied. "We'll stay out a little longer, but you go and rest up. We'll see you in the morning."

Jeff mustered up a small smile before turning and heading back towards the cabin. He knew that his brother and Amy were going to continue to talk about him and Trish some more, but for now he had had enough.

**•••••**

Grabbing a glass of water, Jeff headed up the stairs towards his room. As he was about to open the door to his room, he paused for a moment and turned to face the door opposite his. He thought about the girl inside that was emotionally wounded. How she deserved so much better than what Jason put her through. She must have really been hurting for her not to open the door to either of her best friends in Adam and Amy. Stacy apparently had also tried but she knew that Trish just needed some time to herself so she didn't press on for too long. Jeff took a step closer towards her door, contemplating if he should even bother trying. He didn't want to intrude if she just needed to be herself but he didn't want her to think that he didn't care either. He considered for another moment, before he decided he would knock on her door. He had nothing to lose checking up on her. If she didn't answer, than he just joined the list of people who failed to get Trish to open the door, but if she did open the door…then it would mean that she didn't have to go through this alone.

The whole upstairs was quiet, everyone besides Matt and Amy who remained outside by the fire pit, must have been asleep. Jeff exhaled heavily before lightly knocking on Trish's door. "Trish…" He said quietly. He paused for a moment waiting to see if he could hear anything. Nothing. "It's Jeff." Again he paused. Again nothing. He leant his head against the door. Though he was prepared to expect nothing to happen, a small part of him was hoping that she would open her door for him. He contemplated whether he should say the same speech that everyone else tried, that they just wanted to make sure that she was okay and that if she needed to talk that they were there for her, but instead he opted for something else. "Trish…" He began. He felt a little weird talking to a large wooden door, but he hoped that he would get through to the girl on the other side of the door and hoped that she was listening. "I…just wanted to say goodnight."

He took a step back, again waiting to see if anything happened, but again he was met with nothing. Jeff turned, saddened that even he couldn't get through to Trish and he hoped that maybe tomorrow she might come around. Running his fingers through his hair, he placed his hand on the doorknob to his door before he heard a click. Quickly turning around, his emerald gaze fell upon a familiar pair of hazel eyes staring back at him. Though they were glazy and a little puffy from all her tears, they were the same pair of hazel eyes that made his heart stop momentarily.

"Trish…" Jeff said ever so quietly.

-End of Chapter-


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **_Hey guys! So I have been writing and writing the latest update and realized I wrote way too much that it was getting way too long already and I still hadn't even finished. So I decided to split the chapter up into two chapters, that way I could get an update earlier than I was planning. Anyway, I hope you're all still enjoying this story. Please continue to leave your reviews because I do get a thrill reading them. Anyway, hope you enjoy the latest update. Let me know what you think. As always happy reading! :)_

**Chapter Eleven**

She sat huddled tight in her wooden chair as she stared off into the wilderness, she grasped onto her coffee mug holding it tightly, the warmth of the warm liquid giving her heat against the chill of the fresh morning air. Her body present but her mind elsewhere. She was tired, she barely got any rest after an eventful 24 hours and she knew that she wasn't the only one.

The moment Trish had woken earlier this morning, her eyes fell upon a peaceful being sleeping quietly next to her. His face serene and still, his lips slightly parted as gentle breaths escaped in and out. His emerald eyes, shielded by the power of sleep, although she knew all too well that he hadn't been asleep for long. A small smile crept upon her face for the first time since everything unfolded with Jason. He just looked so peaceful sleeping beside her, she couldn't help but bring her hand gently to his face, lightly swiping away some blue strands of hair that fell across his face before she softly caressed his cheek with her thumb. A slight, sleepy groan escaped his lips at her touch and she gently bit down on her bottom lip to prevent a giggle escaping her.

She couldn't help but smile to herself again at the memory of waking up beside Jeff this morning. That was twice now that they had fallen asleep next to each other and it was a nice change for Trish from having been waking up on her own for the last two months. A chill of the morning breeze swept through her hair, sending a shiver through her body. She didn't want to leave the comfort of her bed, but she had a lot on her mind and she didn't want to toss and turn and risk waking Jeff up.

She continued to stare off into the sea of trees, the sun just beginning to show it's light. There was one more week left of this trip and she didn't know how she was going to cope. If she thought that the beginning of this trip was difficult after not seeing Jason for two months, then the remainder of this trip was going to be ten times harder, knowing that Jason was still in love with her. The thought of that played over and over in her mind the moment she locked herself up in her room yesterday. Her emotions were all over the place. She had to question whether Jason was being sincere, or if he was playing his little mind games with her. She questioned herself also. After everything that happened two months ago, after everything that happened yesterday…did she still love Jason?

**•••••**

_"__Trish…I'm telling you he is so hung up on you it's insane." Adam said as he handed Trish a glass of lemonade and took a seat on the couch beside her._

_"__I don't know Adam…he's a member of our group, not to mention your brother." Trish replied, as she took a sip of her lemonade. _

_"__What does that matter?" Adam questioned. "He really…really…really…likes you Trish. Not to mention that he really…really…really…really likes you." He smiled causing Trish to giggle. "And if I have to hear how much Jay really, really, really, really, really likes you again…I will have to disown him as my brother." _

_"__He is persistent, I'll give him that much. Not many guys would try to ask you out again, after being shot down the first time." Trish giggled. "The last few dates that we've been on have been amazing, he is amazing…but I don't know Adam, I still have my concerns about dating friends. If things didn't work out between Jay and I, that could cause some real awkwardness amongst the group and with you in the middle…I wouldn't want you to feel like you would have to choose sides." Trish advised, placing her glass on the coffee table. _

_"__Okay, look at me." Adam said, placing his hands on her shoulders and making direct eye contact so that he had her full attention. "I need you to listen to me. First of all, stop thinking about what could happen…it hasn't happened, it might not ever happen – so just put all those doubts behind you. Second, you are my best friend, Jay is my younger brother, there is no other girl I would want him to be with than my best friend in the whole world! In the event that anything bad was so happen, I would never choose sides, he will still be my brother and you will still be my best friend. That will never change and thirdly…do you like him?" He questioned._

_Trish took a moment to think…though she didn't need to, she already knew the answer. A big smile etched across her face. "Do you want the honest answer?" She asked._

_"__No I want you to lie to me. Of course I want the honest answer." _

_Trish playfully punched him in the arm. "Honestly Adam…I think I'm falling in love with him." She blushed. _

_Adam was quick to embrace his best friend. He couldn't be happier knowing that his brother and his best friend were in love with one another. He only wanted the best for both his brother and Trish and what was better than the two of them together. "You and Jason both make me sick with how loved up you two are…but I am so happy you have no idea!" Adam gushed. _

_"__Hey…what the hell is going on here?" Jason questioned as he walked in on his older brother and girlfriend hugging one another. "Should I be worried?" He questioned suspiciously. _

_Releasing Trish, Adam stood up and smiled at his brother. "I think I'll leave you two alone." He said walking over and patting his brother on his back, throwing a wink his way before walking out of the room. _

_Trish stood and made her way over to Jason, her face glowing with happiness. Jason looked at her questionably. "What's going on here?"_

_"__Nothing you need to worry about." She smiled._

_The worried expression on Jason's face quickly vanished as he took in that smile that always brighten up his day. "Do you realize how sexy that smile is…how sexy you are." He commented, wrapping his arms around Trish's waist and pulling her close to him._

_She smiled, bringing her arms gently around his neck. "People may have mentioned it…" she giggled, "…but it sounds so much better when you say it." _

_"__Well then let me say it again…" He gently ran his hands up over her curves, bringing them to her face. He caressed his thumbs gently on her cheeks, then lightly brushed them over her lips. "You my girl…are very, very, sexy…" he whispered softly as he brought her lips to his, kissing her passionately. _

_As they pulled away, a cheeky grin etched across Trish face. She bit down on her bottom lip sending a tingly sensation through Jason's body. He knew that face, it drove him insane every time he saw it. _

_Staring heavily into Jason's blue eyes, Trish began to slowly and seductively unbutton her shirt, one button at a time. It took every muscle Jason had to swallow the big lump that formed in his throat as he watched on._

_Undoing the last button on her shirt, Trish slowly slipped it over her shoulders, dropping her shirt to the floor. "So you think I'm just very…very…sexy…?" She teased, biting down on her nail playfully. _

_An involuntary growl escaped Jason's lips as he looked on at his blonde bombshell, standing in front of him in a black lacy bra and denim shorts. "Did…I…uh…say very…." Jason said, the tightness in certain parts of his body causing him to stutter, he was finding it very difficult to keep his attention on her eyes. "What I meant to say was…extremely sexy." He closed the distance once again between them. "Come here" he growled as he picked Trish up, wrapping her legs around his waist, giving her a gentle, playful smack. The two kissed once again, the passion, heat and intensity in the kiss doubling._

_"__You…are…amazing." Jason mumbled between kisses. "I am so in love with you." _

_Trish pulled back. Her face, astonished. "What did you say?"_

_Jason looked into her bewildered hazel eyes, a little panic swept through him. It wasn't meant to come out like that but he wasn't going to hide his feelings any more. "I'm sorry…I know it's early and we haven't been dating long…but I mean it Trish. I am so in love with you it's crazy. You drive me crazy. You are amazing and you are so hot! I honestly can't believe someone as hot as you exist! I want you to be my girlfriend forever…I want you to be mine forever!" _

_"__This wasn't the way I imagined this happening, particularly with me with my shirt off, but I don't care because I am so in love with you too Jason!" She gushed._

_"__You've literally made me so happy!" Jason beamed, grabbing the back of her head and kissing her once again. The two continued their passionate make out session as Jason made his way up the stairs with Trish still wrapped tightly around him._

_"__Whoa! Hey…can you keep things PG while in front of people." Adam commented as the two passed by._

_Jason pulled away from kissing Trish momentarily, turning to his brother. "I know it's pretty evident, but because you're so clueless Adam…do not knock on my door, call out my name or disturb us in any way until I have finished with the love of my life." _

_Adam smiled. "All right you two…just make sure I don't hear anything that goes…" Trish and Jason were no longer listening as they made their way to Jason's room, their desire for each other getting the better of them. "Ah young love…" Adam smiled, before something had suddenly hit him in the face. "What the hell?" He said picking up the black object from off the floor. "Oh…real nice guys!" Adam shouted realizing Jason had unhooked Trish's bra and threw it at Adam. "I need to find myself a woman." He groaned throwing the bra back down on the ground and making his way to his room._

**•••••**

"Trish...Trish…hey"

Trish's memory recollection was cut short as a hand placed on her shoulder snapped her back to reality. Her eyes landed on a pair of eyes full of concern.

"Hey…is everything okay?"

"Sorry Amy, my head's all over the place, I didn't even realize you were there." Trish apologised.

"I could tell. I was calling your name for a while. You had me worried for a second. What's on your mind?" Amy asked as she sat herself down in the wooden chair beside Trish.

"What's not on my mind. I can't stop thinking, my mind is literally racing a hundred miles per hour. It's kinda hard to switch it off at the moment." Trish replied as she took a sip of her coffee which was now at a little cooler than she would have liked it.

"Want to talk about it?" Amy asked.

Trish remained silent. She wasn't really sure what to say. She didn't know herself. She had so many things racing through her head, she wasn't sure where her head was at.

"I was really worried about my bestie last night." Amy eventually said, reading Trish's lost face loud and clear.

"I know…and I appreciate everyone checking on me…honestly I do. I just wasn't in the mood to talk. I just wanted to be on my own." She said.

"Mmmhmm." Amy replied.

"What?" Trish said noticing Amy's face.

"What…I didn't say anything." Amy replied, trying to contain a smile.

"You didn't have to, I could see it on your face. What do you want to say?"

"Nothing…I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Spit it out!" Trish insisted.

"Nothing, all I was going to say was that I respect the fact that you wanted to be alone….with Jeff."

Trish's jaw dropped, her eyes widened. She was speechless. How did Amy know?

Amy couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the shock and bewildered expression on her best friend's face. "Now before you go lying to me, pretending that you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should know that last night when Matt and I were heading to bed, Adam walked out of his room to go to the bathroom. We asked him how Jeff was and he told us that he hadn't seen Jeff and that Jeff wasn't in bed. So…it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together and work out where he was." Amy grinned.

Trish let out a sigh. She was busted. There was no point in lying or trying to dodge it. "What do you want to know?" She sighed again. She thought that talking about the whole Jason situation was bad enough, she wasn't prepared to talk about this.

"Tell me everything!" Amy replied ecstatically.

"Honestly, there's nothing much to tell. He knocked on my door. I opened. He came in and that was it. We didn't talk. We didn't do anything. I just cried and he was just there for me and that was it. Nothing more." Trish answered.

"You know…I could have done the exact same thing. I don't see why you couldn't open your door for me." Amy frowned.

"I know…and I appreciate it, but I know you Amy and you know yourself. There was no way that you were going to be able stay silent and not say a word. You would have had your say about Jason, you would have wanted to ask how I was feeling and to talk about everything – I just wasn't ready for all that. I just wanted to say nothing and let the emotional turmoil take its course."

"And you think Jeff was the best person to do it with…wait…what am I saying, of course Jeff is the best person to do it with." Amy replied answering her own question. "How are you feeling about everything now?"

"I'm not quite sure to be honest. I mean Jason dropped a bombshell yesterday and it's a lot to take in. I will admit, a part of me has been waiting for Jason to tell me he still loves me. I needed to hear that."

Amy's face dropped. That was not what she expected Trish to say and her mind quickly went back to the conversation with Jeff around the firepit last night. "So…you're still in love with Jason?" She asked cautiously.

"Well…that's why I was glad that Jason said what he said, because for the last two months I have been wondering how I would feel if I heard Jason say those words again."

"And…"

"And…to be honest, it felt good. It felt good to know that after everything he did to me, he still loves me, but it doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

"It doesn't?" Amy asked surprised.

"No." Trish said, a little surprised herself. "Yesterday when I was in my room by myself, I thought that maybe there was still something there between Jay and I…"

"So what changed?" Amy continued to question.

"I opened my eyes this morning." Trish answered, her cheeks turning a rosy colour as she smiled to herself. Only she knew what she really meant by her statement, but she chose to keep it to herself.

Confusion was written all over Amy's face. She didn't quite understand Trish's answer, but she didn't care. She was just happy to know that Jason's bombshell didn't pull Trish back to him.

"Well…I'm glad. I was a little worried that Jason's 'I love you' bullshit may have opened up some old feelings."

"Oh it did, but it also opened up some old wounds." Trish replied.

"So what are you doing out here by yourself, I'm surprise that you don't have Jeff out here with you."

"No, I didn't want to wake him. I don't think he got much sleep. I felt him toss and turn a little so I thought I would come out here to do my thinking and try and let him get some rest."

"Look, since we're on the topic of Jeff…I need to ask you something." Amy said, not really knowing how to go about the conversation.

"Okay…" Trish replied a little wary.

"I know that your head is all over the place at the moment but I kinda need to ask…where is your head at with Jeff at the moment?"

Trish had an inkling that this question would come up and she only really had herself to blame. She knew that she was spending a lot of time with Jeff since arriving on this trip and a part of her felt a little guilty because she wasn't spending much time with Amy or Adam or anyone else for that matter. But she just really enjoyed Jeff's company and being around Jeff. Like the comfort of her own home, Jeff quickly became a security blanket for her. She didn't know how that came about, she didn't really know why but she knew that whenever she was around Jeff, she felt safe.

"I don't know Amy. I've just been enjoying his company. We've just really clicked and he seems to know me on a whole new level than I've had with anyone else."

"Yeah I can see that." Amy smiled. "I knew that from the first moment I saw the two of you together. But what I want to know, is if there is anything more between the two of you than just the friendship. I'll be honest because I'm your best friend, I can see it, Matt can see it, hell I'm pretty sure Jason can see it too. We all can. I just want to know what you're feeling."

"Ames, I'm feeling a whole lot of shit at the moment. I don't really know what I'm feeling. I enjoy his company and I enjoy having him around. That's all I know at the moment." Trish responded. She was lying to herself and I think her answer was more of an attempt to convince herself more so than convince her best friend.

"Okay, look I'm not going to press you further, I just want to let you know to just be careful with Jeff please. He's got a big heart and he's dealt with his fair share of pain, which is why I think the two of you click so well. But Jeff may seem tough on the exterior, but he is very vulnerable, so please be careful with him. That's all I ask of you okay…"

"Did he say anything to you?" Trish asked.

"He didn't need to. But he may have mentioned something."

"What did he say?" Trish asked, now curious.

Amy smiled before getting up from her chair. "Maybe that's something you should talk to Jeff about. Talk to you later." Amy grinned before disappearing back into the cabin, leaving her best friend with even more questions on her mind than she already had.

**•••••**

Trish shut the door behind her, trying to be as quite as she possibly could.

"Good morning" came a soft yet husky voice, startling Trish as she entered.

"Hey Jeff. I'm sorry did I wake you?" Trish smiled as she made her way towards the bed.

"Nah I woke up a while ago." He yawned as he stretched out his arms and sat himself up, leaning against his pillow on the headboard.

Trish sat on the end of the pillow as she looked into the emerald eyes that she didn't get to see this morning when she woke. "I'm sorry if I woke you up when I left this morning." Trish apologized.

"It's okay. I was kind of glad to get my arm back to be honest." Jeff grinned, causing Trish to look at him puzzled. He let out a small chuckle. "You fell asleep cuddled up next to me. I had my arm wrapped around you and every time I tried to pull away and get my arm back, you would let out a little whimper and pull me back closer to you."

Trish's face became bright red with embarrassment. "You're lying."

Jeff laughed as he ran his fingers through his blue locks. "Hate to tell you but it's true. I've got the dead arm to prove it."

Trish was so embarrassed, she couldn't believe she did that. She had no recollection of doing that but surely Jeff wouldn't make something like that up.

"I'm sorry Jeff…" she apologized.

"It's okay." He took a moment to look at the blonde beauty sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked much better than she did last night. She was a complete wreck last night, crying most of the night into his chest. He didn't say anything, he just held her tight and that's all she needed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better…thanks to you." Trish smiled. Her smile wasn't her usual bright, captivating smile that Jeff was used to seeing, but it was genuine. "Thank you for being there for me last night. Honestly, you don't know how much that meant to me."

"Thank you for opening your door for me. But honestly, I didn't do anything Trish, so there's no need to thank me." Jeff replied.

"You did more than you know. It's funny, everyone wants to try and be the one to fix me or fix my problems. Sometimes, all I need is someone to just wrap their arms around me, hold me tight and without saying a word, assure me that everything will be okay. You were that person for me last night Jeff. So thank you. I wouldn't be up and about today if it wasn't for you."

"You did that all on your own Trish. You're a lot stronger and a lot more courageous than you give yourself credit for."

A warm fuzzy feeling swept through Trish's body, as he looked her way and smiled at her. He was such a sweet, sincere and genuine guy. How she wished that she had met Jeff a lot earlier in life. Her life may have been a lot different.

"Jeff…can I ask you something?"

"Yeah of course you can."

Her gaze met his, his piercing emerald eyes making her heart skip a beat. She started to feel real nervous and it was like her mouth was wired shut. She tried to speak but nothing was coming out. She couldn't get her words to come out.

"Everything okay?" Jeff asked.

"I…I….uh…I…" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her words together. Jeff was looking at her intently, she needed to say something…anything at this point. "Uh…it can wait." She finally said.

"You sure?" Jeff questioned, quirking his brow.

"Yeah. Did you umm…want to get some breakfast?" She asked, trying to quickly change the subject.

"Yeah that would be nice." Jeff smiled. He knew that Trish was trying to dodge something. She wanted to say something, he wasn't sure what it was but he knew that it was something that was playing on her mind.

A knock on the door, caused the two of them to quickly turn their heads.

"Oh I forgot to mention that Amy and Matt know that you slept here last night." Trish advised.

"Wait what? How?" Jeff asked.

"It's a long story." Trish replied as the knocking continued. She made her way to the door and opened it.

"Hey can we talk?"

"Uh…now's not a good time Jay." Trish replied, as she kept the door partially open so that Jason couldn't see into the room.

"I know that you probably don't want to talk to me, but I really think that we should talk." Jason continued.

Hearing that voice that made his skin crawl and his blood boil, Jeff got out of bed and made his way towards the door.

"Look, we can talk but not right now. We'll talk later okay." Trish said, trying to move things along quickly and keep Jeff from coming to her rescue.

"Okay, but can I ask you something real quick?" Jason pressed on.

Trish took a moment to look into the room and saw Jeff standing next to her behind the door. His face said everything. He was not happy that Jason was at her door at the moment. You could tell that Jeff was ready to step in and most likely knock Jason out. His jaw tense, his body even more tense.

"Uh…" Trish said turning her attention back to Jason. "Now really isn't a good time Jay."

"I just want to know…did it bring back any feelings for you?" Jason asked.

"What brought back feelings?"

"The kiss. When I kissed you…did it bring back any feelings?"

"Like I said Jay, now is not the right time. We'll talk later." Trish replied sternly before quickly closing the door.

Trish took in a deep breath before she turned to Jeff.

"He kissed you?" Jeff asked, his expression blank, he voice stern.

"He did. I think he thought that maybe a kiss would be the answer and fix everything, but it didn't. I pushed him off of me."

"He's such a piece of…"

"Jeff…it didn't..." Trish quickly cut in but Jeff didn't want to hear it.

"Yep." Was all Jeff could say. He was mad. It wasn't so much jealousy, it was more so that he couldn't believe that Jason would try absolutely everything he could to try and get Trish to feel something towards him again. If the 'I love you' bombshell wasn't enough, he had the audacity to kiss her as well. Jeff wasn't one to get mad easily and there was very little people in the word that Jeff could say he hated, but when it came to Jason.- he hated him. In the short time that he had known Jason, he had seen enough to know that he disliked his character. He was just someone that was the complete opposite of Jeff and the two of them were just not going to ever get along.

"Jeff hey….are you okay?"

"Yeah look…sorry Trish. I…I kinda just lost my appetite. I'll talk to you later." Jeff was quick to respond. He didn't look at Trish before he opened the door and walked straight out and into his room, closing the door quickly behind him, leaving Trish standing in her room in complete disbelief.

-End of Chapter-


End file.
